A private jet ready for takeoff
In 2013, the low-altitude airspace reform will be fully rolled out, and the approval process for general aviation has been greatly simplified. With the introduction of the national policy to open low-altitude airspace, owning a private jet is gradually becoming a reality. Experts say that within the next 5 to 10 years, China will enter the era of private jets.
"Sleep on the bus, pee at the stop, take photos at the scenic spot, and come home knowing nothing." Traveling by vehicle consumes too much of a traveler's energy and vitality, making the experience less of an enjoyment and more of a tedious, exhausting, and costly process.
Private jets may give rise to a new way of traveling: self-fly. It’s simple and fast, significantly reducing the time spent on the road so that travel plans can be quickly realized as scheduled, allowing more time and energy to be devoted to the travel experience itself. How wonderful that would be. When it comes to traveling across China by cycling, hitchhiking, or driving, people often talk more about the “hardship” of the journey, and because of that hardship, the sensory experience of the destinations reached becomes infinitely elevated.
It’s like you wouldn’t claim a bowl of noodles has extraordinary nutritional value just because you’re hungry. The travel experience doesn’t have to involve deliberately torturing your senses before you can enjoy them. Why make things difficult for yourself just to get along with the scenery?
It’s not to say that you have to buy a plane to “self-fly.” The opening up of low-altitude airspace will foster the rental business for private jets. Or, you might share a chartered flight through personal connections.
But private jets don’t mean you can fly however you want. Unregulated flying can pose potential safety risks to yourself and the public. Questions such as where to park the plane, how to apply for a flight, and how to maintain it are all urgently in need of answers. Most companies abroad that own private jets have the capability to service and repair their aircraft themselves, but the private jet market in China is still in its early stages of development. This means there is a need for aircraft management companies—akin to a car “4S” shop—to manage and maintain private planes.
According to the Guangzhou Daily: On the afternoon of November 14, the mainland’s first private jet 4S shop, Zhuhai Xirui, was renamed Zhuhai Hanxing General Aviation. Within the next 3 to 5 years, it plans to establish 40 more private jet 4S shops across the country. Currently, Zhuhai Hanxing has also successfully acquired the globally renowned Sportsman “Racer” aircraft under the American Glasair brand. After acquiring Glasair, Hanxing will transfer the world’s most advanced general aviation R&D and manufacturing technologies to the mainland through a process of introduction, absorption, and re-innovation, aiming to develop an independent general aviation industry.
Buying and maintaining a plane is a glory bought with money
Additionally, among aviation enthusiasts, there’s a saying: “Being able to buy a plane doesn’t necessarily mean you can afford to keep it.” In fact, the cost of maintaining a private jet is indeed not cheap. The typical annual maintenance cost is one-tenth of the plane’s value. That is, if your plane is worth 10 million yuan, you’ll have to pay 1 million yuan a year. “Generally speaking, a Piaggio P180, which costs nearly 60 million yuan and seats between 6 and 8 people, has an annual management cost of around 5 to 6 million yuan. For a plane with over ten seats, the annual management cost is around 15 million yuan,” Li Xuefeng, Vice Chairman of the Asian Business Aviation Association and President of China-US-Europe Asia Airlines, told reporters.
“Before signing a contract to buy a plane, don’t rush. Choosing an excellent management company is the most crucial step,” Li Xuefeng told reporters.
Li Xuefeng said that buying a plane is similar to buying a private car. In addition to comparing the performance of the car, you’d also choose a good 4S shop for maintenance and servicing. The only difference when buying a plane is that the customer cannot test-fly the plane, so the management company helps you inspect it. For example, if a client signs a purchase contract with a management company, the company will handle everything from applying for flight approval, purchasing the aircraft, shipping, customs clearance, and licensing, to future flight approvals and maintenance—all as a comprehensive package service.
Additionally, the reporter learned that according to the current management policies of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, only airlines with operational qualifications for aircraft are allowed to manage private jets, and these must be incorporated into a unified aviation management system by the management company. If a private jet encounters any flight issues, the relevant authorities can immediately contact the management company to coordinate. Currently, there are about 10 such qualified operators in China.
Even if you don’t fly for a year, you still pay 2 to 3 million yuan
Occasionally passing by an airport, you might notice many small planes parked on the apron. Though they look impressive, these jets burn money every minute.
Li Xuefeng told reporters that clients who own private jets usually have a management company. Parking a plane with a management company incurs management fees. First, if a client’s plane is parked at the airport without flying for a year, the costs include management fees and the salaries and benefits of the crew—amounting to around 2 to 3 million yuan. Once the plane takes off, other expenses such as fuel, maintenance, and landing fees must be considered. “Take the Piaggio P180 shown at this air show, for example. If this plane takes off, in addition to management and crew fees, you also have to pay for fuel, maintenance, and landing fees. A rough calculation shows the annual cost is between 5 and 6 million yuan.”
It is understood that internationally popular business jets seating 10-plus people are priced between 20 and 30 million yuan. The annual fixed costs—including insurance, management and staff salaries by commissioned airlines, parking fees at local airports, training fees, and other expenses—add up to at least 2.5 million yuan. Flight costs in the first year are approximately 900 yuan per flight hour, gradually increasing to around 2,400 yuan per hour in subsequent years.
Compared to business jets, the operating costs of helicopters are relatively much lower. Generally, light aircraft under 500,000 yuan incur maintenance costs of only about 10% annually—around 50,000 yuan—which is roughly the same as maintaining a Land Rover or Ferrari.
Entrepreneurs buy private jets to save time
Why are such expensive private jets still so favored by bosses? “On one hand, it’s a status symbol. On the other, efficiency is greatly improved. Using a business jet can save at least a third of your time—equivalent to turning 24 hours into 32 hours,” said President Li Xuefeng. This is very convenient for entrepreneurs who are too busy to spend time with their families, especially those with overseas business. They can attend meetings in another city in the morning and be home for dinner the same evening. Additionally, private business jets can serve as airborne meeting rooms, offering excellent privacy.
How to buy a private jet?
In theory, buying a domestically produced aircraft or an already imported foreign aircraft does not require approval from the Civil Aviation Administration. You only need to register according to relevant regulations and apply for the three required aircraft certificates (including the airworthiness certificate, radio license, and nationality registration certificate). These three certificates are a plane’s legal identity documents, similar to a car’s license plate. As long as the flight conditions are met, you can take off.
How to park a private jet?
If it’s a jet aircraft, it should be parked at a local commercial airport. If it’s a helicopter, it can be parked in a location you deem suitable, but that place needs to obtain approval for a “temporary landing site” from the Air Force. The helicopters of Broad Group and Chunlan are both parked in their own factory areas.
If it’s a small fixed-wing aircraft and not at an extremely busy airport, it can be parked at a local civil aviation airport. For example, three Cessna 172s owned by Broad Air Conditioning are parked at Changsha Huanghua International Airport.
If temporarily parked at a domestic airport, most will charge according to regulations. Based on current charging standards, the daily temporary parking fee for a small aircraft is around several dozen yuan.
How often do planes need maintenance?
According to the aircraft maintenance manual, generally, professional maintenance is only needed when there is a malfunction or after every 50 flight hours.
How to apply for airspace usage?
If you own a private aircraft, according to the new flight control regulations, you must submit your regular flight plans and frequently used airspace to the local civil aviation authority once a year. The civil aviation authority will then report the plan to the Air Force for approval and respond to you with an official document.
After that, you need to send the next day’s flight plan to the local flight control office before 3:00 PM, and fly according to the plan the following day. If you need to fly a special route temporarily, under the new rules, you must apply at least 6 hours in advance and fly only after receiving approval.