Sino Jet is continuing efforts to expand its reach in China’s Greater Bay Area (GBA) as the Central Government of China moves to build the region into a major economic center, the company said. The government has released guidelines under its “GBA initiative” to expand economies in the GBA area encompassing the Guangdong province, along with Hong Kong and Macau.

Last year, Sino Jet added a base in Guangzhou, China, as part of its strategic expansion in GBA and additionally has bases in Macau, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen. Noting that 25 percent of those on the Forbes China Rich List 2018 are based in or from the GBA and economic growth there is expected to outpace the rest of China, Sino Jet said it sees a demand for greater access to business aviation in the region.

Hong Kong serves as one of Sino Jet’s dual headquarters (the other is in Beijing), while Macau, where Sino Jet is eying upcoming further development, serves as an alternative to HKIA in peak periods. Sino Jet is additionally planning to expand its investment in Guangzhou and sees “huge opportunity” in Shenzhen, already a major hub in southern China, with the availability of a third terminal and increased parking.

“Sino Jet has always taken a first-to-market approach and one in which we lead with the highest levels of safety and service," said Sino Jet group president Jenny Lau. “We plan to replicate this model in the GBA, as we have elsewhere in Greater China, by recruiting more highly qualified professionals and well-trained engineers to meet the huge demand for business jet services in Shenzhen and the wider GBA.”

Frank De, president and CEO of Sino Jet Hong Kong, who is leading the company’s GBA strategy, added that they are building partnerships with service providers to enable the expansion, while ensuring safety and making service centers available. “Local knowledge is particularly important in mainland China, where the procedural situation is often complex,” De said. “What is important to our customers is our ability to navigate operational procedures inside and outside of China. We look forward to our further expansion into the GBA, where we will continue to grow the fleet, our service profile, and the company’s customer base.”