FBO chain Million Air signed an agreement with China’s Capital Jet (CJET) and Epic Aviation to establish CJET/Million Air Beijing, the first premium FBO at Beijing Capital International Airport (ZBAA). The announcement, made at NBAA 2015, is the culmination of several years of groundwork according to Million Air CEO Roger Woolsey, who noted this is the company’s first entry into the Asian market, as well as CJET’s first American-brand partnership.

“There’s a lot of speculation and thought about where the industry is going,” Woolsey said. “I think that aviation in China is about to have a really big boom as the airspace continues to be more open and free.”

ZBAA sees on average 50 international business aircraft arrivals a day, which are handled by CJET as the only authorized ground service and customer passage provider for private aviation in the greater metropolitan Beijing area. While its terminal at ZBAA was recently built, it will undergo a remodel to bring its somewhat sterile interior more in line with “international hospitality” style, with an upgraded pilots lounge and conference rooms.

Million Air will provide customer service training and provide operational and safety standards at the location which will begin operations on January 1. Woolsey noted that future aircraft handling will be more along Western standards, with the jet boarding and unloading at the terminal rather than heading straight to a distant spot on the ramp. The location will accept the Epic Card, and those customers will receive exclusive priority services, including preferred aircraft parking, valet luggage service and access to the new pilots lounge.

Next year will also see the beginning of Million Air South Africa, with the planned opening of a first FBO in Cape Town, followed by another in Johannesburg in 2017. Closer to home, the company expects to break ground early next year on Million Air Austin which, when complete in 2017, will be the third FBO at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

In other news, the Houston-based company named retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Blaine Holt as president. He will provide strategic leadership and manage all operations of the Million Air.