Hong Kong's aim of becoming the business aviation hub for North-East Asia received a boost with the opening of a second hangar in the island that is solely dedicated to the sector.
The Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre's HK$100 million ($12.8 million) hangar has over 3,530m²(38,000ft²) of space, more than double the space at its first hangar at the same site beside the airport. This is large enough to accommodate an Airbus ACJ or Boeing Business Jet.
The HKBAC is the only fixed-base operation for corporate jets in Hong Kong, and the bigger space would help cater to the rising number of private jet movements at the island. The centre had 981 aircraft movements in 2000 and this has grown to 2,583 in 2006 - an average annual growth of almost 20%.
"Changes in global travel pattern and style are under way, creating a growing need for business aviation service and supporting facilities in Hong Kong," says Michael Kadoorie, director of the HKBAC.
This hangar will provide expanded and improved services for business travellers and contribute significantly to serving regional and global business aviation."
Raymond Kwok, managing director of the HKBAC, adds: "With globalisation increasing rapidly, the way business is conducted and the style in which people travel has been changing considerably. Hong Kong is one of the prominent gateways to global business, and business aviation is an important contributor to this financial hub."
Hong Kong's business aviation sector has been booming over the past few years, with the island recording one of the highest growth rates in private aircraft registration and ownership in Asia.
This is partly driven by demand from China, which has seen many of its companies listing their shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
The island is also a base for North-East Asia, with corporate jet owners in Japan and Taiwan preferring to register their aircraft in Hong Kong for the convenience and access to China that it offers.
Other countries in Asia are also bidding to build or expand their existing business aviation facilities. Singapore is redeveloping its Seletar Airport into an aerospace hub that comprises both business aviation and maintenance facilities, while Malaysia has similar plans for the old international airport in Subang and Thailand for its airport at Don Muang.
India is considering the conversion of some of its old airports and airstrips into business aviation hubs, while there are plans for FBOs in the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Industry sources say that there is space for more FBOs and hangars dedicated to the business aviation industry in Asia. "A big problem in Asia is the lack of facilities for business aviation.
With more countries recognising this and taking steps to rectify it, it will get better. Ideally, there should be at least one FBO with hangar facilities for business aircraft in every country," says the chief executive of one North-East Asia-based aircraft management and charter company.
Source: Flight International
