China’s first business aviation airfield should be under construction east of Beijing by year’s end. The planned airfield at Sanhe is a project associated with Minsheng International Jet, which has broad ambitions in business aviation. It has been designed for Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault and Embraer aircraft, says Minsheng Jet Chairman Mo Lijun. This suggests that users of Boeing and Airbus business jets will have to go to Beijing Capital International Airport, where congestion is demanding an alternative for private flying.

Since Beijing Capital International Airport is overloaded with commercial flights, there is not much doubt that a business aviation facility in the vicinity would be beneficial. And if all goes well, by year-end China’s first bizav airfield should be under construction at Sanhe, to the east of Beijing. But whether many—or indeed any—other Chinese cities need such airfields yet is questionable. Some in the industry even reject the common complaint that business aviation in China is constrained by a lack of fixed base operators (FBO).

BEIJING — South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will ask Lockheed Martin to invest up to 20% in the development of the proposed indigenous KF-X fighter, local media report. DAPA, which approved purchase of the Lockheed Martin F-35 on March 23, will begin negotiations next week with the U.S. Air Force on prices of the aircraft, to be supplied under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process, and with the manufacturer on offsets.