Seletar International Airport, one of the main executive aviation hubs in Asia, saw traffic levels drop 61 percent in 2020 and a further 17 percent in 2021, but has seen aircraft movements increase 92 percent year to date through January 27 compared with the equivalent year-earlier period, perhaps signaling a resurgence of business aviation activity in the region.
Based on business-jet departure movement data provided by WingX Advance of Hamburg, Germany, AIN estimates that business aviation movements at Seletar totaled about 6,500 in 2019, 3,100 in 2020, and 2,600 in 2021. By last month WingX had logged 113 bizjet departures at Seletar.
Seletar's oldest player, Universal Aviation, began operations in Singapore in 1991 and stands as its longest-serving FBO and ground handling incumbent. The 2019 opening of the Seletar Business Aviation Centre (SBAC), a joint venture of SATS Seletar Aviation Services, Universal Aviation Singapore, and Jet Aviation, has improved business aviation services at the airport.
“It’s a very competitive FBO and ground handling market, for a relatively small ramp,” Universal Aviation’s Asia-Pacific director Yvonne Chan told AIN. “We have continued to stay strong and competitive over the years despite the increased competition. We have grown from a small team of four or five staff to 25-strong and have added equipment gradually over the years. We continue to be focused on customer service and safety, achieving ISBAH stage 3 recently.”
The SBAC had served as a focal point for general and business aviation since its inception, and provided a modern and premium experience for both crew and passengers while maintaining its neutrality to support all the handlers and the general aviation community.
“It has elevated the handling experience,” she said. “From a small World War 2-era building to a modern dedicated facility, the SBAC has been a huge upgrade. The partnership paired the award-winning lounge handling expertise of SATS with two specialists in business aviation.”
Covid-19 continued to affect the industry on many levels. Omicron had delayed Singapore’s attempt to reduce travel restrictions on daily lives. Travel within Asia-Pacific remained challenging due to closed or restricted borders and quarantine measures taken by neighboring countries. “This impacts the business side of things, especially Seletar, a regional air hub for business aviation,” she said.
“In the pandemic’s early days, traffic was down to a trickle. The Singapore Government has supported the industry to help us retain talent despite the difficult business environment, and companies to prepare for when traffic returns,” explained Chan. “Now, though, despite the loosening of border restrictions here, other countries are not reciprocating, which hampers travel within the region. We’ve seen an annual 20- to 30 percent increase in travel, spurred by the vaccinated travel lane here, but it is still far from pre-Covid traffic.”
Singapore FBO competitor Jet Aviation announced in September that it had won the International Aerospace Quality Group’s (IAQG) AS/EN 9110 certification, a set of quality standards adapted for the aviation, space, and defense (ASD) industry, in recognition of its quality management system at Seletar. “Following Basel’s certification in January 2018, this is the company’s second MRO site to achieve this internationally recognized industry standard,” it said.
Dubai, UAE-based Jetex will use the SBAC facility until Bombardier opens its new FBO for Jetex to run under its license. It expects to win control of half of the FBO market at Seletar within around two years, once the coronavirus pandemic winds down, its chief executive told AIN on the eve of the Singapore Airshow.
“My vision is that the minute that the market recovers, Jetex will have an immediate 50 percent market share in Singapore,” founder and CEO Adel Mardini said. “I am confident in its success because all the customers who are using us in Dubai—and across more than 30 global locations—will enjoy Jetex facilities in Singapore.”
Jetex signed an agreement with Canada's Bombardier in October 2020 that extended the Dubai-based company's FBO presence to Seletar, making Singapore its fourth destination in the Asia-Pacific region after Tokyo (Haneda and Narita) and Osaka. It also operates an office in Beijing, China, according to its website.
“Bombardier is a major global OEM,” he said. “We began our relationship with Bombardier in Dubai and then extended it to Singapore, where they invested $100 million in their facility.”
Mardini said that meant he would avoid building relationships with other OEMs to allow him to create other FBO facilities in the region under Bombardier’s tutelage, while ties to operators like VistaJet would only strengthen the bond. “Jetex remains loyal to Bombardier and we are building a solid, long-term relationship with them,” he said. “VistaJet has a magnificent modern Bombardier fleet. They were our first clients in Singapore and we value their confidence in Jetex globally.”
He noted that several locations across Asia-Pacific could develop rapidly. “Our strategy is to establish a Jetex flagship in Singapore and then expand across the region,” he said. “Once you are in Singapore, everyone in the region knows who you are.”
Thailand stands as a good opportunity, but he thinks other FBO operators, such as the local company MJets, have already made inroads. “We are looking at different locations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia are promising,” said Mardini. “I see an increase in aircraft ownership in Indonesia. Two aircraft were sold to an Indonesian owner in November—an indication of how the business is developing there. The Philippines are developing quickly and look very promising.”