There has been some confusion among international operators lately concerning slot restrictions at Beijing Capital International Airport (ZBAA). Matt Pahl, assistant manager of operations for Air Routing International at Houston, cleared it up. “Earlier this year, [the CAAC] told the business aviation community that they could not support continuous operations through the day. Consequently, they have no general aviation slots available between 1100 and 1700 local, and you can obtain only one slot between 0800 and 1100, and 1700 and 2200.

Almost all business aircraft in China, however, are corporate owned but managed by third-party charter companies or affiliated with airlines. “Right now you can’t have a private operation in China due to regulatory issues, so you have to have an AOC [air operations certificate] or be allied with an airline or charter provider,” explained Pat Dunn, an American who is employed as aviation manager for the Genting Group in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “They are welcoming foreign operations under those conditions.”

Despite the infrastructural and policy barriers inhibiting development of business aviation, there is almost unlimited potential to sell business jets in China.