BAAFEx Show Rides Asia's Rising Business Aviation Tide

The first Business Aviation Asia Forum & Expo (BAAFEx) opened at Singapore Changi Exhibition Centre today as the long-awaited replacement for the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE). ABACE was last held in April 2019 in Shanghai and has not yet returned post-pandemic.

“Asia is the third-largest market for business aviation,” said Leck Chet Lam, managing director of Experia Events, which launched BAAFEx and also runs the biennial Singapore Air Show. Plans call for holding the two shows on alternate years at the same site, so BAAFEx will return in 2027.

Signs point to growing interest in business aviation in Asia, with the number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals there reaching one-third of the world total, according to show organizers. “We expect healthy growth in the Asia-Pacific business aviation industry over the next 10 years,” Leck said, predicting it will outpace the global average.

The first day of the show opened with a strong showing of visitors crowding the exhibit hall. Although it encompasses a small area at the Changi Exhibition Centre, exhibitors told AIN they were happy with the show’s location and ability to attract companies and individuals from surrounding countries.

Jetcraft Preowned Aircraft Report Predicts Steady Growth

The next five years will see “steady and sustainable” growth in preowned business aircraft transactions, per a market forecast published late last week by Jetcraft. According to the latest “Ever Forward: The Pre-Owned Business Aviation Report,” 11,202 preowned business aircraft transactions worth $73.9 billion will be completed between 2025 and 2029.

Jetcraft’s projections anticipate a 5.8% compound annual growth rate for the volume of transactions, with transaction values rising by 2.8% over the same five-year period. The report concluded that the large jet segment of the market will make a substantial contribution to driving sales as new models are increasingly delivered.

In 2024, the total value of preowned aircraft transactions worldwide was $13.4 billion, with 64% of deals closing in the U.S. As evidence of a generational shift in the market, Jetcraft’s analysts said that 29% of aircraft buyers were under 45 years old.

According to Jetcraft, growing numbers of “new tech” billionaires are fueling increased demand from younger aircraft buyers. The new report said that over the past decade, the number of under-45-year-olds in the market has nearly doubled.

Leaders Reiterate Need for Consensus on ATC Overhaul

Aviation leaders stressed the urgent need to step up modernization of the nation’s ATC system, calling it unsustainable today during a hearing before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee’s aviation subcommittee. But stakeholders and lawmakers alike reemphasized the need to avoid contentious debates around proposals such as privatization.

Aviation subcommittee chairman Troy Nehls (R-Texas) pointed to recent Government Accountability Office findings data that some 37% of the FAA’s ATC systems were unsustainable and another 39% potentially unsustainable. “We need to rewrite the previous playbook,” Nehls said, but added all aviation stakeholders must coalesce around a common goal.

T&I chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri) added, “We simply cannot allow past issues that divided Congress and industry stakeholders to distract us from getting something done." Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington) was more pointed about privatization: “We must reject any attempts to privatize air traffic control systems.”

These sentiments were echoed by many of the panelists of today’s hearing. A4A president and CEO Nicholas Calio said, “It's critical that we put the debates of the past and the inherent political inertia behind us to try to actually all join together to get something done."

GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce further reiterated many of the key points the industry agreed upon to help boost the system, such as emergency funding, procurement improvement, facilities realignment, and government shutdown protection.

UAS Sees Rising Flight Support Demand across Asia-Pacific

UAS International Trip Support is seeing double-digit increases in activity for its business aviation support services across the Asia-Pacific region. This week, the Dubai-based group is exhibiting at the inaugural Business Aviation Asia Forum & Expo in Singapore while marking its 25th anniversary.

According to UAS founder and CEO Omar Hosari, Southeast Asia, India, and Australia have seen the most significant increases in flight activity, mainly based on the growing number of wealthy individuals in the region, as well as the expansion of tourism and infrastructure investments. In addition to supporting aircraft operators, UAS also has a Bombardier Global Express available for charter that has been in demand for trips to India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

“The Asia-Pacific business jet market experienced fast growth in 2024 with a 12.5% increase,” Hosari noted. “Locally, business aircraft departures from Singapore Changi and Seletar airports in 2023 rose by almost 28% over the past five years. Accordingly, regional operators are demanding reliable trip support that enhances efficiency and ensures consistent operational excellence.”

In the region, UAS has a network of flight supervisors in China, Malaysia, and Australia. These specialists can move to specific airports to support operators as needed, handling all aspects of flight preparations. The China team is based at an operations center in Beijing and is supported by the group’s other such centers in Dubai and Houston.

FAA’s Potential Pivot to Starlink Questioned

Reports that Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service may take over an FAA contract to upgrade the nation’s ATC communications infrastructure have prompted concerns about procurement procedures and potential conflicts of interest amid a broader industry push for ATC modernization.

According to multiple reports, Starlink’s internet equipment has already been installed in at least two FAA facilities, with the company reportedly positioning to take over a 15-year, $2.4 billion contract awarded to Verizon in 2023. The FAA has confirmed that it is testing one Starlink terminal at its Atlantic City, New Jersey facility and two terminals at “non-safety critical sites” in Alaska.

The potential contract shift has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers concerned about procurement procedures and potential conflicts of interest. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington), ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, issued a statement characterizing the situation as potentially corrupt.

“If the FAA cancels a long-term contract with Verizon in favor of Starlink while ignoring long-established protocol, that would stink of corruption,” Larsen said. “Our committee must get to the bottom of what the hell is going on between the FAA and Starlink.”

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee, has also raised concerns about Musk’s involvement with the FAA, particularly regarding SpaceX launch licenses. More recently, Cantwell pointed to “serious red flags” regarding the potential Starlink contract.

Web Manuals Offers Aviation Documentation Training

Aviation document management specialist Web Manuals is offering customers ongoing training with its software through the new Academy+ option for its Learning Management System. Under the package announced on Monday, the Swedish company is providing live instructor-led sessions and self-paced online courses to supplement product knowledge and allow users to explore the system at their own pace.

Web Manuals’ technology helps aircraft operators and other aviation companies to digitize, author, and distribute operational documentation. The company aims to save time and cost by replacing a laborious manual task with automated processes that will increasingly be supported by artificial intelligence with tools such as a new PDF reader.

Academy+ customers pay a subscription for ongoing training rather than paying for individual sessions. Certified Web Manuals instructors help customers with questions and can provide on-demand instruction with specific topics and tasks. Clients can enroll in any open training course without paying additional fees, and the option also helps new users get started with the technology and helps them to maximize the benefits.

Gama Promotes New Sharjah FBO for Long-haul Tech Stops

Gama Aviation is promoting its new FBO at Sharjah International Airport (OMSJ) as a technical stop for long-haul flights between Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Exhibiting at the Business Aviation Asia Forum & Expo in Singapore this week, the company confirmed that the facility, which includes a terminal building and hangar, will open later this year.

According to Gama, the new FBO in the UAE can operate around the clock with no slot restrictions. As such, the company said Sharjah is an attractive alternative to nearby Dubai International Airport (OMDB), where business aircraft operators now face difficulties getting slots. The airport is around a 30-minute drive from downtown Dubai.

Gama said its staff will be able to support quick turnarounds—about 30 to 40 minutes— between flights, and the facility is only a few minutes’ taxi time to and from the runway. A hangar at the complex will be able to accommodate aircraft up to Airbus and Boeing bizliners, with licensed technicians on hand to provide line maintenance support for some models.

UK-based Gama is also preparing to start construction of a new FBO at Jersey Airport (EGJJ) in the Channel Islands.

Boom Goes Boomless with Supersonic XB-1 Testbed

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 flight demonstrator has repeatedly broken the sound barrier without generating any audible sonic booms on the ground, proving that quiet supersonic flight over land is possible. Now, more than 20 years since the retirement of the Concorde, is supersonic air travel on the verge of a resurgence?

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PEOPLE IN AVIATION

Mike Francis was tapped as the head of aircraft finance at Citi Private Bank. His 20-plus years of private aviation experience include working for SVB Private Wealth/First Citizens Wealth, First Republic Bank, Source Bank, and CIT Bank.

Vinnie Venditto was named executive v-p and general manager for Yingling Aviation. Venditto served in the U.S. Air Force before starting his career as an avionics technician and has since served as director of maintenance at Global Wings and as service center operations manager at Gulfstream. Yingling also hired Jason Cohen as executive v-p of sales. Cohen’s 30-plus years of experience in aviation includes playing a key role in launching West Star Aviation’s Bombardier program. Additionally, Tommi Krell joined Yingling as v-p of marketing and communications. Krell previously worked for Jet Aviation as head of global MRO marketing.

FDH Aero named Ian Walsh CEO, taking over from Scott Tucker, who now serves as non-executive chairman. Walsh was recently CEO, chairman, and president of Kaman Aerospace.

Electra Aero appointed Donn Yates as v-p of government programs. Yates served in the military for 25 years before working in the private sector as COO of FlyExclusive and, more recently, as v-p of air dominance business development and strategy for Boeing’s defense, space, and security division.

Duncan Aviation tapped Marc Anderson as a completions and modifications sales representative based at its Provo, Utah MRO. Anderson has been with the company since 2011, working in material services and project management.

JSSI appointed Ben Hockenberg to chief investment officer. Hockenberg has worked for the company since 2020 as COO and as president of JSSI Parts & Leasing. Tim Elberfeld, who has served as JSSI’s CFO since 2022, has now taken on the COO title. JSSI hired Andreas Mauritzson as executive v-p of JSSI Aviation Capital. Mauritzson previously served as president and COO at XOJet Aviation and as v-p of business strategy at Sun Air Jets.

Gulfstream Aerospace named Courtney Valentine as senior v-p and general counsel, taking effect May 5, following the retirement of Ira Berman. Valentine previously served as assistant general counsel and chief anti-corruption compliance officer at Gulfstream and more recently was assistant general counsel and director at parent company General Dynamics.