Cessna Aircraft said today at the Singapore Airshow that it expects “accelerating demand” for light and midsize business jets across the Asia-Pacific region in the next decade. Speaking at the show, vice president of sales for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMAA) Trevor Esling said, “The Asia-Pacific region already accounts for 10 percent of Cessna’s business jet sales, and we anticipate demand increasing further in the medium to long term. The region’s economic resilience during the global financial crisis, rising national prosperity and Chinese airspace liberalization make it likely that the business aviation market will mature at quite a rapid pace.”

In the past 12 months, Cessna has bolstered its presence in the region by increasing the size of its Citation sales team in China and basing a field-service manager in Singapore. “All indications are that the Chinese economy will grow by more than 8 percent this year alone, while forecasts for the economies of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are similarly positive,” Esling said. “These forecasts are extremely encouraging for aviation in general, with China expected to become one of the top 10 countries for business jet ownership by 2025.”