The Asia-Pacific business jet market is expected to see continued growth, according to market players at a new industry gathering in Singapore.
Citing data from various sources, Leck Chet Lam of Experia events says that Asia’s business aviation market has surpassed levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic.
Experia is the organiser of the first Business Aviation Asia Forum & Expo (BAAFEx), which is running from 4-6 March. The biennial show is held at the same location as the Singapore air show, which will next take place in early 2026.
“The Asia-Pacific business jet fleet is growing, but more importantly it is growing at a faster pace than the rest of the world,” says Leck.
“Businesses are recovering, executives are travelling, and investments are in-bound to the Asia-Pacific.”
In a presentation at BAAFEx, Cirium analyst Lionel Olonga observed that the Asia-Pacific accounts for just 7% of the global business aircraft fleet, following North America (62%), Latin America (15%), and Europe (11%). Apart from Hong Kong, every market in the region is experiencing growth in private jet fleets.
Carlos Brana, executive vice president of Civil Aircraft at Dassault Aviation, says that while the Asia-Pacific market is promising, demand is growing gradually, particularly in China.
“In this market we see the potential, but paradoxically the level of orders is not exactly what we were expecting. But we know that little by little, these things will happen”
Dassault, which is displaying a Falcon 8X in the show’s static park, is seeing considerable interest in pre-owned aircraft, however. The benefit of opting for a pre-owned aircraft is immediate availability.
“For people in a hurry to get their tool for business, [pre-owned] is an advantage.”
Chris Shindle, marketing director of Boeing Business Jets, observes that business jet departures in the region continue to grow, rising from 6,000 monthly before the coronavirus pandemic to around 13,000.
Boeing operates at the very highest end of the business jet market, promoting business versions based on airliners such as the 737 Max, 787-9, and 777-9. A key market for the company is head-of-state travel.
According to Boeing, there are 46 BBJs in service in the Asian region, 19% of all in-service BBJs. Once the BBJ 737-7 is certified, from Singapore it will be able to serve destinations such as Anchorage, Auckland, Lagos, and London.
The company focuses on the installed BBJ fleet in the region, with an eye to replacing existing aircraft.
“Much like with commercial [aircraft], we’re looking at the renew and recycle phase of the airplane,” says Shingle. “How old is that BBJ that’s in a fleet? When was the last heavy check?”
Moreover, the company also keeps an eye on the used market, because in some cases a used aircraft may be more suitable for a customer than a new one.
Leithen Francis, managing director of aviation public relations specialist Francis & Low, adds that business jets are excellent for connecting big cities in Asia to remote airfields with short runways.
He cites the example of festival in the town of Ende on the island of Flores during 2024. Dignitaries from Jakarta needed to attend the event, but the airfield was too small to be served by narrowbody airliners, while turboprop aircraft lack the range.
Two business aircraft – a Hawker 800XP and an Embraer Legacy – were able to perform the mission, however, flying VIPs from Jakarta and landing on Ende’s single 5,440ft runway.
