WhoFlies on Charted Jets?
Claire: Hello everyone, this is 5 Minutes withAOPA-China. I am Claire.
Nick: The annual Asian Business AviationConference & Exhibition (ABACE) 2019 has just opened this week. Since its inceptionin 2012, ABACE has scored over 8,000 attendees from 50+ countries around theworld, 165 exhibitors, 35 business aircraft on static display and more than 300members of the media.
Claire: Companies big and small are gatheringin Shanghai, China, with hopes and goals on new investment opportunities andmeeting new partners in business.. It provides a glimpse into the growth ofdynamic Asian market.
Nick: If you had visited the exhibition thisweek, you must have witnessed Gulfstream‘s unprecedented presence at the show,showcasing its fleet of class-leading aircraft. Gulfstream G500, G600, G650ER,G550 and G280 were all on display.
Claire: Plus, Bombardier Global 7500 made itsdebut in China, a deal of 2 Global 7500 has been sealed, worth 291 milliondollars, according to the report.
Nick: I’ve heard that the Global 7500 offers afully-equipped kitchen and a master suite with a permanent bed and stand-upshower available. This draws a vivid image ofthe elite upper class, sipping on champagne as they cruise in plush leatherseats to an exotic location on a business jet in my head.
Claire: It’s a booming market now.
Nick: So who flies on charted jets?
Claire: They can be roughly divided into 2categories, in my point of view. First, the people who own a jet themselves.Yes, those are the rich and the famous. It’s no secret that some celebrities enjoytravelling by their custom made private aircraft. You know the paparazzi loveto line at airports, snapping pictures of celebrities, and dignitaries. Thosewho own a private jet won’t have to worry about that problem as it offers moreflexibility and privacy for their travels. .
Nick: On the other hand, many businessprofessionals are the target customers. Well, they don’t necessarily have to ownan aircraft, as long as their companies are willing to pay for the service.
Claire: Over half of charted flights are forbusiness purposes. Because of the efficiency that chartered flights providewhen compared with commercial flights, such as exponentially shorter traveltimes, many organizations and companies are so inclined.
Nick: It isn’t cheap, no doubt, but you can flyprivately for a good price. There are a lot of companies that just can’t wastetime waiting in an airport for hours. Time is money: that represents business aviation.
Claire: Indeed, you can save a lot time. Whenyou charter a flight, you meet the plane at an FBO, or a small GA airport,instead of a big international airport. At the FBO, staff members happily takecare of your bags. You check in right away and don’t have to endure strictsecurity protocols. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about luggage-relatedweight limits. There you go.
Nick: If you’re running late on your way to theFBO, it’s not a problem. The plane will wait for you.
Claire: Because you are the only client.
Nick: Right. One of the many perks of flying ona chartered jet are the VIP services. Let the aircraft management company knowwhat you’d like on board and they’ll make it happen: Play your favorite music,watch your favorite movies, eat delicious gourmet food, read your favoritemagazines and newspaper, even surf the Internet. Make the travel aspersonalized as you want.
Claire: As SAA president Qin Yun remarked inthe ABACE opening ceremony, our business aviation movements in China are onlyone-twentieth of those in the U.S. and a quarter that of Europe, so there isplenty of growth opportunities.
Nick: I know. Rome was not built in a day.
Claire: the essence of air travel is “TimeMachine”, as mentioned by Robert Xiao last week during AsBBA Safety Day.
Nick: I hope one day when I retire, in severaldecades, it will become affordable for common Chinese to experience charteredflight to travel with their families and friends. At least we won’t have to beforced to make small talk in a crowded seat with a stranger who takes up morethan his/her fair share of the armrest.
Claire: Well, we will see. There aredifficulties along the operations in China as well as other countries. Like theground handling, fuel, taxes, and operation fees. It takes an army to make itwork the magic of “Time Machine”.
Nick: Do you want to try Business Aviation? What’syour opinion about the topic? Tell us about it.
Claire: You know where to find us: Wechat,Facebook, Twitter, Ximalaya and any podcast app. Just search 5 Minutes withAOPA-China, our website is www.aopa.org.cn.
Nick: Our e-mail is [email protected]. Bye fornow.
Claire: See you next week.
Words and Expressions:
1. chartered jet 包机
2. FBO:fix-base operator 固定运营基地
3. GA airport:general aviation airport 通用机场
4. ABACE:亚洲商务航空会议及展览会
2019亚洲公务航空大会及展览会（以下简称ABACE）周二在上海虹桥开幕，昨日刚刚结束。ABACE是亚太地区的商务航空盛会，致力于为该地区数千名商界领袖、企业家和其他购买决策者展示公务航空的产品和服务。从2012年第一届到现在，已连续举办了8年。今年参展商有160家，静态展示的飞机（公务机和直升机）30多架。
湾流航空带来了G650ER、G600、G550、G550和G280，五架公务机一字排开形成一个扇形，场面十分壮观。庞巴迪环球7500也亮相ABACE,这是它在中国的首秀，最远航程7700海里，带有豪华的厨房，套房和淋浴间，令人惊叹。航展期间，湾流完成了4架环球7500的订单，价值2.91亿美元。另外，塞斯纳、比奇、波音BBJ、达索猎鹰8X、空客ACJ320等都来到了ABACE航展。
那坐这些豪华包机的都是哪些人呢？
除去应急救援的，大体可以分成两类。一类就是拥有私人飞机的达官显贵。许多明星就有自己的飞机，这样他们就不用面对守在机场的狗仔队了。
另一方面，商界的领袖和精英也是包机的常客，据统计，超过50%的包机都是商务用途。他们无需买一架飞机，因为他们的公司通常愿意为包机服务买单。与定期航班相比，包机的效率要高的多，无需在机场等待，随到随走，可以节省很多时间。对于许多公司来说，时间就是金钱，这也就是为什么他们愿意选择公务航空，包机出行。
上海机场集团的总经理秦云在ABACE上说，中国公务航空的起降架次只有美国的二十分之一，欧洲的四分之一，所以中国公务航空的发展空间很大，机会很多。同时我们也有许多困难亟待解决，如地面的支持保障，基础设施，航油，运行成本等等。
正如肖社长上周在AsBAA航空安全日上说道的，飞行就像是时光机。我相信未来，“时光机”的性能会更加先进，也将惠及更多的人群。
