North China’s Appetite For Business Jets Remains Steady

Interests for long- and ultra-long-range business jets in north China remains largely stable, despite changing economic sentiments in the country.

This comes as ExecuJet Haite and Capital Airport Holding Business Aviation Management opened a 7,150 m² facility at Beijing Daxing International Airport in the end of August.

Paul Desgrosseilliers, general manager of ExecuJet Haite, says Beijing remains the busiest airport and destination for business jets in China. He noted the capital city, with its large concentration of owners and operators, will continue to draw based airplanes and transient aircraft visits from throughout the region and the world.

China in the mid-2010s saw an increase in business jet disposal, especially in north China following the start of a crackdown on corruption or graft. 

The Daxing MRO facility offers line maintenance, aircraft-on-ground (AOG) support and heavy maintenance for aircraft from Bombardier, Dassault Aviation, Embraer and Gulfstream.

“Discussions continue with both authorities and OEM’s on capabilities and we remain highly optimistic that we will receive several OEM authorizations along with domestic and foreign national aviation authority approvals as the facility officially opens and gets fully operational,” Desgrosseilliers said.

Despite China’s close ties and Beijing’s proximity with Russia, Desgrosseilliers noted that no Russian jets are parked or serviced in China, especially after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war when the West imposed sanctions on aircraft parts and servicing on Russian aircraft.

“I believe there are several other countries and regions that have seen an uptick in Russian aircraft, but I can’t say it’s China,” he adds. “There were several inquiries made for our services at the onset of sanctions, but due to the various agreements we have with manufacturers and suppliers, it was never considered, and I’m not aware of any other entity in China performing such work.”