Private jet fliers welcome option of fast-track transfers
Operator hails positive roll-out of service that saves time at immigration and checking in bags
A “wing-to-wing transfer service” offering seamless connectivity between commercial planes and business jets in Hong Kong is off to a flying start, its operator has said, as it looks to capitalise on rising demand for private flights.
The Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre (HKBAC), the city’s only franchised fixed-base operator for business aircraft support services, rolled out the initiative last month.
It allows passengers transferring between commercial flights and private jets to skip immigration procedures. Fliers are accompanied by HKBAC staff to the centre, located at the airport, and can directly board their jet, while their belongings are taken care of.
The service can shorten t he transfer time between commercial flights and business jets from 1½ hours to between 30 and 50 minutes.
HKBAC chairman Allen Fung Yuk-lun said he hoped the JetLink Service could entice more premium clients into trying business jets or charter flights that catered to more than 10 people per aircraft, depending on its size.
A shift in customer behaviour meant a diverse range of patrons now preferred to pay more to take charter flights, with such options costing about two to four times more than a first class commercial flight ticket, he said.
Fung noted that Singapore, Japan and the mainland were among the popular destinations.
“After the Covid-19 pandemic, people have become more health conscious so a greater number prefer chartered flights or private jets, which are quieter, convenient and more comfortable with enhanced privacy,” he said.
“Business jets have started to appeal to different groups of patrons from business bosses or executives taking the journey to attend international conferences or other events, such as sports or arts, to families and individuals seeking a tailor-made premium service that is unavailable with commercial flights.
“There has also been a rising trend of customers bringing their pets along for leisure travel or tour groups going to some special destinations for activities such as diving via a charter flight. When they can organise more than 10 people to share the cost, it becomes not so expensive.”
Fung said the service aimed to provide greater convenience, efficiency and comfort.
“This fast-track service can eliminate the need for individual travellers to handle the complicated and timeconsuming process of customs and immigration clearance, as well as baggage claim,” he said.
“The response has been good so far. Those who tried out the service were happy about the carefree experience.”
Fung was upbeat that the service could enhance the sector’s competitiveness and help cement Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub, noting the city boasted strong global connectivity, while such an option was unavailable in Singapore.
The centre has signed up more than 100 jet operators at Hong Kong International Airport, with companies’ services covering 200 destinations. More than 7,000 private jet trips were made in the city last year, representing 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
Business jet operator Amber Aviation vice-president Vicky Tsui said the JetLink Service had been well-received by her European and American clients taking commercial flights to Hong Kong before switching to private jets to the mainland and other parts of Asia. “My customers have been very happy with this new service because it saves them a lot of time for making transit,” she said.
Sheree Cheung, deputy general manager at the HKBAC, said the centre was also on track with its HK$400 million expansion plan to double capacity to 17,000 private jet trips a year, which would support rising demand and complement the launch of the airport’s third runway this year.
The expansion will launch next year in two phases. The first involves extending the centre’s executive terminal and adding an all-weather canopy. The second covers the creation of a support terminal with larger facilities and extra offices for stakeholders.
The third runway will open by the end of this year. It is expected to boost annual capacity by 50 per cent to 120 million passengers and 10 million tonnes of cargo.