🌏 China's Intercontinental Business Jet Departures Surge Against the Trend, Leading the Asia-Pacific Market
China's long-range business aviation market is moving in the opposite direction from the broader Asia-Pacific trend. Sino Jet added the Gulfstream G700 ultra-long-range business jet to its charter fleet in May 2026, bringing its total fleet size past 40 aircraft and marking the formal execution of the operator's strategic shift from regional charter to intercontinental ultra-long-range services. According to Avi-Go data, from January 1 to May 13, 2026, intercontinental business jet flights departing China with a flight duration exceeding 300 minutes reached 739 movements, a year-on-year increase of 25.5% (a net gain of 150 movements compared to the same period in 2025), surpassing Japan (643 movements, up only 3.5% year-on-year) to rank first among major Asia-Pacific markets. Meanwhile, Thailand plunged 31.5% and Australia declined 18.8% over the same period, with the combined total across seven countries edging down 1.1%, making China's counter-trend performance particularly notable. Bombardier Global 7500 movements departing China rose from 233 to 256 over the same period, a gain of 9.9%, further confirming sustained robust demand for ultra-long-range aircraft types.
Impact: For FBOs and ground handlers, the structural growth in intercontinental departures from China means that demand for ultra-long-range aircraft handling at hub airports such as Beijing and Shanghai will continue to climb, placing existing ground service capacity and intercontinental route coordination capabilities under stress testing. Regarding the competitive landscape, Sino Jet's 2025 revenue already reached a record USD 200 million, and the introduction of the G700 will further widen its lead over regional competitors in the intercontinental charter market.
Recommendation: FBO operators should complete ground handling capability assessments and staff training for ultra-long-range aircraft types (G700, Global 7500, etc.) before Q3 2026, prioritizing high-frequency departure nodes such as Beijing Capital and Shanghai Hongqiao. Charter brokers can immediately begin developing customized intercontinental route products from China to Europe and the Americas, moving quickly to capture the market opportunity created by Sino Jet's strategic transformation.