Planemakers fly in to meet demand

Business aircraft are displayed at the Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Center during a preview of the Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition on Monday. The three-day event opens on Tuesday. (Photo source: Shanghai Daily)

About 180 of the world's top business aircraft makers and operators will participate in a major aviation event opening in Shanghai Tuesday as they aim to tap the soaring demand among Chinese for business and private jets.

China has become the world's major business jet market so far this year by chalking up the fastest growth rate, Brazilian manufacturer Embraer said at a preview of the Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition Monday. Embraer has delivered 147 business jets to both carriers and private buyers in China.

Manufacturers, including Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier, will display 38 planes at the exhibition. Airbus will exhibit its new ACJ319 business jet that has the largest and tallest cabin and comes with a separate bedroom, office and bathroom. The plane costs around US$90 million with a customized cabin.

The US-based Gulfstream will show off the world's fastest business jet, the G650, that has notched a world record speed of Mach 0.925. The plane costs 400 million yuan (US$64 million).

Last year, Shanghai's two airports handled 4,489 private jets, up from 4,000 in 2012, according to the Shanghai Airport Authority. The figures represented about 30 percent of the total on the Chinese mainland.

The three-day event is held at the Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Center at the Hongqiao International Airport.