Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre (SHPBASC, Booth H128) received Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for maintenance of Hawker 800-series business jets, the company announced here yesterday at ABACE 2014. It also has been designated as an authorized service facility for Cessna Citations by the newly formed Textron Aviation, which also owns Hawker and Beechcraft.

The Hawker 800 approval is the first in China for the aircraft model granted to a Part 145 maintenance facility. “The Hawker 800 family has a significant number of aircraft flying in Asia,” said Carey Matthews, general manager, SHPBASC. “Our approval from both the CAAC and the FAA allows us to expand our service offering for the fleet. Our staff has extensive experience on this type of aircraft and we are well positioned to support the fleet.”

Though no longer in production, Matthews noted that several operators in China and Hong Kong use Hawkers as a core component of their fleets, with 12 based in China and 16 in the region. In addition to the region’s current Hawker 800 series base, NetJets will initially operate two Hawker 800 aircraft as it introduces its retail charter business in China this year.

Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, where SHPBASC is based and ABACE is held, will be an important destination for NetJets, putting SHPBASC in excellent position to deliver base maintenance and field support.

“We are excited that Hawker Pacific has extended its capability to include the Hawker 800XP, NetJets China’s certification aircraft,” said Eric Wong, CEO NetJets China–Hong Kong (and vice chairman, NetJets China–People’s Republic of China), adding, “Shanghai Hawker Pacific has been a long-time, approved-maintenance vendor for NetJets, providing world-class maintenance and service.”

SHPBASC, the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) division of Shanghai Hawker Pacific, also announced it has been designated as an authorized service facility for Cessna Citations. Approval by the CAAC to perform MRO work on Citation Sovereigns is expected within a month. Matthews calls the partnership with Textron and Cessna “a huge step forward for the MRO,” and the ability to service the Citation line “a superb opportunity for our company.”

Since opening in 2011 as the first dedicated MRO for business aircraft in China, SHPBASC has seen substantial growth, registering a 70-percent increase in business in first quarter of this year over the same period in 2013, which itself was a record-setting year. “We are doing more business than ever and keeping the hangar filled,” said Scott Corbett, SHPBASC director of maintenance.

Last year the SHPBASC FBO saw a 19-percent increase in activity over 2012, with more than 4,000 flight movements at Shanghai’s Hongqiao and Pudong International Airports, and Matthews said traffic has been growing about 20 percent annually. Shanghai to Beijing or Hong Kong are the most popular routes for operations the FBO supports, but “overseas destinations are also a very significant portion of the flights we handle,” Matthews said. He expects both MRO and FBO services to continue their growth.

“Business aviation is steadily becoming accepted in Asia,” Matthews said. “What we’re seeing is owners are flying more and they’re getting more utility out of their aircraft,” said Matthews.

SHPBASC plans to build a second hangar here at Hongqiao, and a dedicated FBO and hangar at Pudong, though no timetable for the projects has been set. Meanwhile, the company will continue serving as “The home of ABACE,” as NBAA designates SHPBASC, with a multi-year commitment to keep Hongqiao as the show’s site.