Small plane makers chase growth in China

Alternative view

Dassault Falcon remains unconvinced.

"It's not economically viable," said Jean Michel Jacob, senior vice president in charge of international sales at the Paris-based aircraft maker, best known for its Falcon 7X jet.

"There must be volume of sales to justify the creation of an additional plant. It's very difficult to sell one million jets in China like the auto makers," said Jacob.

Instead, the company, which aims to increase its fleet in greater China to 150-200 jets over the next 10 years from about 30 now, has recently beefed up its China customer service by adding a new regional service facility in Beijing, and tripling its parts inventory level.

Rival Gulfstream also opened a new customer support center in Hong Kong in April to better serve a market where a record 168 billionaires made the Forbes China rich list in 2013, up from merely 24 in 2008.

However, in a country where the super-rich have been snapping up fancy cars, yachts and even premier properties in New York, private ownership of jets remains a rarity - for now.

Only 40 percent of China's super-rich recently polled by Hurun Report Inc - which compiles information on the wealthiest Chinese - said they plan to use private jets, and half of them are interested in time-share.

Still, the lure of the world's second-biggest economy remains beyond question for small plane makers like Piaggio Aero.

Chief commercial officer Felten remains optimistic, expecting considerable growth in the business aviation market. While a joint manufacturing venture remains a future possibility, the company in April appointed a local firm as the first authorized service center in mainland China for its twin-engine turboprop P180 Avanti - a plane in the range used by Ferrari.

Leaving on a jet plane	Private plane business taking flight