Sino Jet, China’s third largest business jet operator, opened its new base at Guangzhou’s Baiyun airport on June 14, adding to its existing bases in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. The facility is riding on the government’s 88 billion yuan ($13.75 billion) investment in the Great Bay Area, which consists of the major Pearl River Delta cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai, as well as Hong Kong and Macau.

Jenny Lau, president of the Sino Jet Group, told AIN that the company wishes to be closer to its clients in the Shenzhen and Guangzhou region, which has seen some demand. “Guangzhou Baiyun Airport has been very open and welcoming to business aviation, which is quite uncommon in China,” she said. “They have also built hangars specific for business aviation, and many of our clients prefer to park there due to costs compared to Hong Kong.“

Lau added that the city is strong in aircraft maintenance and has the talent pool to allow Sinojet to establish an MRO there. “The Pearl River Delta remains to be full of opportunities, as there are so many clients out there that are not exposed to the market and are looking to buy light to midsize business aircraft,“ she added. Sino Jet recently signed three to four clients from Dongguan. Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Shenzhen are among China’s most important industrial and distribution hubs.

According to Lau, Sino Jet is planning to further increase its capability in Chengdu and Shenzhen, and open new offices in Xi’an and Xinjiang in the near future. Currently, some of its self-owned aircraft will intermittently be based at Guangzhou. Other aircraft in the fleet are also expected to be based there as the business in southern China expands.