International business aircraft operators face another four to six months of exclusion from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (ZSSS) while customs, immigration, and quarantine facilities are being upgraded. Until the work is complete, flights from outside China will have to use the city’s main gateway, Pudong International Airport (ZSPD). Jet Aviation, which runs the FBO/MRO at ZSSS and the FBO at ZSPD, did not respond to AIN's inquiries about this situation.
Despite the short-term disruption, China’s economic planning arm, the National Development and Reform Commission, has given the go-ahead for moves to improve business aviation access to Hongqiao as part of a broader government policy to bolster trade, lure investments, and integrate transportation modes. Under the recently upgraded Hongqiao International Open Hub initiative, authorities are preparing to improve the quality of business aviation services at Hongqiao while also working with authorities at Pudong to cater to the demands related to long-distance international routes in and out of the Yangtze River Delta region.
Since August 1, FBO services for international business traffic at Hongqiao have been suspended temporarily. During the work there, all international business and private flights have been rerouted to use ZSPD. Meanwhile, Hongqiao has continued to accept domestic business and private flights, using its Number 17 VIP lounge.
In recent months, both Hongqiao and Pudong airports have sought to improve jet bridge, towing, and turnaround times, with a focus on meeting the needs of passengers arriving on morning and evening flights. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the latest efforts have resulted in freeing up parking space at ZSSS to accommodate small business jets.
According to data from Global Sky Media, the number of registered private jets in China dropped to 301 last year from 345 at the end of 2020. Despite this, industry data tracker WingX Advance states that the country is experiencing triple-digit growth in business aviation flight activity versus last year, marking a 32 percent increase over pre-pandemic 2019.
Prior to the pandemic, Shanghai Hongqiao Airport hosted the annual Asian Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, organized by the NBAA, Asian Business Aviation Association, and the Shanghai Airport Authority. No date has been set for the show's resumption.