Airbus Corporate Jets, part of European air manufacturer consortium Airbus, said business aviation is no longer reserved exclusively for top-tier executives or emergency travel.

A report by Airbus Corporate Jets delves into why Asia-based organisations – including family offices – use corporate aviation, finding that it delivers “substantial time savings,” with 72 per cent saying that a quarter or more business routes they use aren’t served by commercial flights.

Most organisations in Asia that already use business aviation are using it more to support their operational efficiency, which includes providing access to a broader group of employees.

The research was conducted amongst senior professionals based in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, comprising 34 senior executives at some of the largest corporations in Asia and 33 Asian-based family offices, hedge funds and private equity firms with a combined AuM of $141 billion.  

The private/business aviation sector can be a barometer for the economy. This publication has covered the wealth-related angles of this industry before, including an interview a year ago here with ACJ about its studies into the use of such aircaft.

An ACJ jet

In other details, the ACJ report said that 63 per cent of organisations’ overall business air travel is now conducted via business aviation for the senior executives surveyed at Asian corporations. The corresponding figures for the private equity and hedge fund managers, and family offices surveyed are 69 per cent and 69 per cent respectively. 

Almost all (94 per cent) Asian organisations surveyed estimate that they save between two and three hours when using a business aircraft rather than a commercial flight; and a further 5 per cent say they save three hours or more. 

“This research confirms what we’re seeing on the ground – that for many Asian organisations, business aviation isn’t just faster, it’s smarter. It allows professionals to recover valuable hours, work securely and make better use of their time in transit,” Chadi Saade, president of Airbus Corporate Jets, said.  

Looking ahead, over half (54 per cent) of Asian organisations expect their use of business jets to increase by 50 per cent – 75 per cent over the next two years.

Use of private aircraft correlates to Asian organisations’ growing international physical presence, with all (100 per cent) private equity and hedge funds surveyed saying they expect their number of global offices to increase over the next three years. 

This international expansion is also being seen with Asian family offices, with all respondents saying they expect to see an increase in family members residing in different countries.

“Business aviation is no longer reserved exclusively for top-tier executives or emergency travel. Forward-thinking organisations are increasingly acknowledging its value across their business, particularly for employees whose roles demand on-site presence to manage international affairs,” Saade added.

The use of business aviation is expanding outside the organisation, with nearly all (99 per cent) Asian respondents saying that their company uses its business aircraft to support humanitarian or charitable causes – which could include emergency medical transport, organ transfers and crisis relief.