Charter Report 2023

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Asia-Pacific Business Jet Charter Report 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the charter industry in
the Asia-Pacific region. As such, it presents regional and market overviews, as well as data on aircraft registries,
operator insights, OEM statistics, and the role of mobile apps in the sector. This report also looks into the changing
dynamics of the industry, revealing trends and patterns that can inform strategic planning and decision-making.
Overall, the Asia-Pacific charter fleet saw a slight decrease in the year
to the end of June 2023, standing at 296 business jets, which was
a 1.7% reduction from the previous year. Despite this, some regions
experienced growth, including South Asia which saw a 9.5% increase
reaching 69 aircraft. Northeast Asia, saw the highest growth rate of
25%, reaching a total of 25 aircraft. However, Greater China saw the
steepest decline, falling by 21.1% from the previous year.
Three new charter aircraft were delivered in the year to 2023, and 11
pre-owned aircraft were added to the charter fleet. These additions
couldn’t help offset the 38 aircraft removed from the charter fleet.
Further changes occurred in the type of missions that aircraft
undertook, with 48 aircraft transitioning from private/corporate
missions to charter roles, and 29 aircraft shifting from charter roles
back to private/corporate missions.
Bombardier and Textron were the leading OEMs, each having 29%
of the total charter fleet in the region. Other notable OEMs included
Gulfstream, which increased its market share to 17.2% with the
addition of three aircraft. Dassault and Embraer were also significant
players in the region, each holding approximately 10% of the market.
Among Dassault’s fleet, the Falcon 2000 was the most common
Large jet model, with the Legacy 600 dominating Embraer’s Large jet
fleet.
The size category of business jets is a critical factor shaping the
charter market in the Asia-Pacific region. Long Range aircraft
dominate the charter fleet, making up 27% of the total number
of available aircraft, which reflected the increased demand for
intercontinental travel in the post-pandemic era. The Gulfstream
G650ER leads this category as the most popular charter aircraft
in Asia-Pacific. At the other end of the spectrum, the Very Light
jet category, represented by models like the Cessna Citation 510
(Mustang), experienced significant growth, increasing by 46.7%.
Light and Large jets both experienced reductions but remain popular
in the charter market, holding 24% and 22% of the market share,
respectively.
Australia (VH-), India (VT-), and mainland China (B-) were the most
popular registries for charter aircraft in Asia-Pacific with local
registration rates of 98%, 91%, and 85%, respectively. Offshore
registrations also saw significant growth, with San Marino being the
most popular location, reaching 27 aircraft by the end of June 2023.
TAG Aviation, Phenix Jet, and Australian Corporate Jet Centres
(ACJC) emerged as the top operators, with fleet sizes over ten
aircraft. Overall, there were 16 operators with a fleet of five or more
charter aircraft. A further 15 operators had three or more charter
aircraft in their fleet.
The increasing prominence of mobile apps in the charter industry
is also noteworthy, with 16 active apps providing private jet
charter services. These apps have been instrumental in enhancing
efficiency and broadening customer reach, simplifying the process
of obtaining quotes and managing bookings. However, despite the
convenience offered by these apps, the engagement of client service
representatives remains a critical component in the charter booking
process due to the complex nature of charter bookings.
Despite a slight decrease in the total number of charter aircraft, the
Asia-Pacific charter market is showing signs of resilience, with some
regions and operators experiencing growth. The rise of mobile apps
is a testament to the industry’s ability to adapt to changing consumer
preferences, signaling a promising future for the charter industry in
the region.
5 | ASIA-PACIFIC CHARTER REPORT 2023