Story ID: 396GulfstreamSing2016AIN.doc
Gulfstream enjoying sustained sales in Asia-Pacific
By: Thierry Dubois
Caption: Singapore is home to two dozens of Gulfstream's business jets
Word Count: 326
Business jet manufacturer Gulfstream (Stand T74) is enjoying sustained sales in the Asia Pacific, company executives said at the Singapore Airshow yesterday. The region was the U.S. company’s strongest international market last year, although North America remains its mainstay (at 56 percent of 2015 orders), said Scott Neal, senior v-p for worldwide sales and marketing.

The in-service Gulfstream fleet in the Asia Pacific region has more than doubled over the past five years, although the growth was below average last year. Singapore has “nearly 25” of the 60-or-so Gulfstream aircraft based in Southeast Asia.

The favorable trend in the Asia Pacific should not change, Roger Sperry, regional senior v-p for international sales, predicted. “No country stood out in 2015, and we continue to sell in almost every country,” he added. Asked about the influence of the slower economy in China, Gulfstream's executives said they remain optimistic for the long term.

Gulfstream owns a service center in Beijing, as a joint venture with China’s Hainan Group. It has serviced 470 aircraft since operations began in November 2012.

Meanwhile sister company Jet Aviation has customer support facilities in Hong Kong and Singapore. A new spare parts warehouse is to open this year in Australia, thus reinforcing those located in the three aforementioned cities. A G450/G550 level-D flight simulator can be found in Hong Kong, under a joint effort with FlightSafety International.

Competitors Dassault and Bombardier over the last few months announced delays in large-cabin business jet programs, and Gulfstream has seen a positive impact on its sales at a global level. Some customers came to the Savannah, Georgia-based airframer after canceling orders for a Falcon 5X or Global 7000/8000, according to Neal.

The newest additions to Gulfstream's large-cabin product range are the $46.5 million G500 and the $56.5 million G600. Three prototypes of the former are flying. The first example of the latter is at the final assembly stage.