Numerous COVID-19-related border control and quarantine measures around the globe are taking a toll on business aviation, as demand for air travel as a whole plummets. With around 60 million people in China in lockdown and businesses forced to shut until the end of February, Sino Jet mentioned that domestic flight within China was reduced by half last month.

Hong Kong, one of the region’s primary business aviation hubs, closed 10 of 13 access points and implemented a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all travelers entering Hong Kong from China.

“Business aviation activity in HK declined significantly in February as clients from mainland China cannot travel freely via Hong Kong to other countries.“With numerous international airline cutting and suspending services to China, Sino Jet is still seeing demand for jet services. International flights reduced by 20% which is very reasonable for current economy and global situation.”, said Sino Jet group president Jenny Lau. 

“Charter service request was up dramatically in January 2020. We believe that many travelers and businessmen are stuck inside or outside the country. Some commercial airlines cut down their services or even the direct flight services to and from particular countries, and the wealthy ones…are turning to charter a private jet,” she added.

Sino Jet currently has dual headquarters in Beijing and Hong Kong, with offices in Singapore, Macau, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xiamen, and Hangzhou.

The company has implemented a series of measures to fight the spread of the virus, such as deep disinfection of offices, formulating a digital communication plan to reduce need to meet physically, and providing a clear quarantine policy for its crew. Its crewmembers also provide clients more information on travel restrictions before they depart, on conditions—such as denied entry, allowed entry but subject to quarantine, and allowed entry upon clearing medical screenings—so they can reconsider their flight schedule and destination based on their requirements.

Should a passenger opt to self-quarantine away from his home due to family contact, Sino Jet will also assist and arrange hotels, as well as provide all the resources such as masks and sanitizers. All staff are also required to record their body temperature twice a day and closely monitor any changes.