Private plane sellers hope for scoop from Beijing Olympics
Updated: 2008-02-15 15:50
The Beijing Olympics this year will help boost the growth of the business aviation sector in China, businessmen from around the world said at an aviation exhibition in Hong Kong Thursday.
"The Olympics are going to create a kick in the industry here," said Jay Mesinger, chief executive officer of the United States- based aircraft brokerage firm Corporate Jet Sales, Inc.
Mesinger, who was attending the Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition for a second year, said his company started exploring the Chinese market recently.
"I have been in the industry for 34 years and understand investing in the future. When it comes, we will be there," he said.
Jin Yongfa, general manager of Capital Jet, a Beijing-based company that will arrange most of the Olympics-related business and private flights, said his company was applying to aviation authorities for 57 parking lots at the events.
Olympics-related business flights would be allowed between July 1 and September 30, according to a draft plan handed in by the company to aviation authorities.
Jin said he expected around 300 business and private flights to and from the Capital Airport in Beijing, the Olympic host city.
The Chinese mainland, with less than 20 business planes in operation if excluding planes for government use, only has 10 percent of the Asian market in business aviation and an even more modest share of the global market, said Jason Liao, regional sales director for Asia of the Hawker Beechcraft Corporation.
But the government and aviation authorities were "doing everything right" and providing encouraging support to the business aviation sector, Liao said.
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