Jet Asia of Macau responds to private charter demand in Asia

MACAU, April 9: Jet Asia of Macau is expanding its charter fleet this year with the addition of seven new aircraft to reflect the buoyant trend the private jet sector is experiencing in Asia. Two new Hawker Beechcraft Hawker 900XPs and four Hawker 750s are on order for delivery from December 2007 through to September this year. A Bombardier Challenger 605 comes on line in August 2009 replacing one of two earlier 601s and a Global Express 5000 will follow a year later, replacing the company’s original 601. In addition, last week it was confirmed that Jet Asia will be the first operator in Asia to fly the Project Phoenix VIP-configured Bombardier CRJ-200 on behalf of Ritz Pacific Ltd. This aircraft will join the fleet later this year. Jet Asia played a key role in helping Ritz Pacific determine a suitable business jet for its client’s needs and the Phoenix CRJ, with similar interior dimensions to the Global Express, scored highly on big cabin comfort, passenger appeal and economics. The aircraft will enter service with a brand new interior, new avionics and long range fuel tanks to give a maximum range of 3,000 nm. Longer term, Jet Asia says it plans to introduce its first executive airliner - either a Boeing 737 or MD-80 series, which would be specifically converted into 24-seat VIP layout. Long range fuel tanks would enable it to offer long haul charters from Asia to the Middle East and Europe. The company says research is under way toward approval for purchase later this year. Tourism (primarily casino activity) attracts millions of visitors from China and Hong Kong to Macau each year. By 2006 gambling revenues from the casino boom had exceeded those from Las Vegas. “Undoubtedly, this has become a key driver for Jet Asia’s growth,” says the company’s CEO Chuck Woods. “Business aviation in Asia over the past six years has been quite slow – now it is offscale high and most noteworthy is the fact that 80% of the new orders being placed for business jets are for private use, so this is beneficial to companies like ours. Private individuals depend on experienced and professional organisations who can manage their fleets.” Jet Asia was founded in 1995, originally as the corporate flight department of STDM, the Hong Kong tourism and hospitality conglomerate of tycoon Stanley Ho. The company acquired its AOC in 1997 and the fleet subsequently expanded with a second 601, two Global Express’s and one managed Embraer Legacy.