Navigating jet sales and the growing influence of the Asia-Pacific market

By David Dixon, Executive Chairman, Jetcraft Asia, and Daniel Renwick, Sales Director Australia and New Zealand

As demand grows and markets develop, the Asia-Pacific region is now a key driver of global business aviation activity.

At the 2025 Corporate Jet Investor Asia, the industry’s need for adaptability was the main topic of conversation. Panellists discussed how global and regional changes are impacting business as buyer demographics evolve and the industry reacts to geopolitical and economic challenges.

Asia-Pacific as a resilient and evolving region

The business aviation landscape has remained strong, even amid global uncertainty. Unlike past cycles, where external shocks quickly cooled demand, today’s buyers continue to act with confidence.

Across Asia-Pacific, several sectors are driving momentum. India is emerging as one of the region’s most active players, following a trajectory similar to China’s expansion fifteen years ago. Similar to China’s earlier expansion, infrastructure and regulation still present challenges, but buyer intent is increasingly clear.

Australia also remains a stable performer, and Southeast Asia is showing steady progress, helping offset slower conditions in China, with COVID now a distant memory.

A new generation of aircraft owners

Jetcraft’s Ever Forward report shows that 29% of buyers are now under 45 – a trend mirrored across Asia. The great wealth transfer in families is further reshaping the ownership landscape, as second- and third-generation leaders move into leadership positions, assuming greater control of family businesses and finances.

These younger buyers are more pragmatic and digitally driven, many embracing private aviation as a strategic business asset rather than a purely luxury purchase. While charter continues to expand with the likes of Vista and Qatar Executive making their presence felt, full ownership remains the dominant model.

In Asia, fractional ownership is yet to gain traction in the same way it has elsewhere, as the region’s infrastructure constraints and limited airport capacity are more restrictive than in North America or Europe. As a result, buyers across Asia-Pacific are more likely to purchase aircraft outright, valuing the flexibility and control that full ownership provides in a less predictable operating environment.

Australia’s the region’s ‘mature’ market

Australia’s market is the region’s most mature. The very geography of the country lends itself to a mix of smaller aircraft for the more isolated and remote regions, and larger, ultra-long-range aircraft for trans-Pacific travel and flights to Europe.

Since 2020, the combined Australian and New Zealand fleet has increased by around 15%, making it the second largest in the Asia-Pacific region. Demand is rising for both long-range aircraft and light jets, such as the Cessna CJ series, Embraer Phenom 300, Pilatus PC-24 and Cessna Mustang. These smaller aircraft reflect the classic role of business aircraft, enabling efficient same day return trips that would once have required long drives or overnight stays.

Global cycles are creating regional opportunity

With 79% of Jetcraft’s transactions taking place in the United States, movements in that market have a direct impact across Asia-Pacific. Early in 2025, uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs briefly slowed activity, creating a rare opening for Australian buyers to acquire aircraft from Asia and Europe that would more typically have gone to U.S. clients.

The subsequent reinstatement of bonus depreciation incentives reignited U.S. demand, tightening global supply once again. These shifts demonstrate how global market cycles can unlock opportunity, provided buyers act quickly and with trusted guidance.

Looking ahead

Asia-Pacific’s business aviation market is broadening, with growth in India, Indonesia and Australia offsetting China’s slowdown, and Singapore anchoring the broader Asia Pacific region as its key hub for maintenance, management and financing.

At Jetcraft, the region’s outlook is defined by one of confidence. Asia-Pacific’s evolution is being shaped to grow into one of the world’s most dynamic markets.