Guess who are flying in style: Philippines now home to 50 private jets
Citation CJ4 plane —PHOTO FROM TEXTRON AVIATION
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines ended 2024 with more private jets in its fleet, similar to its Southeast Asian neighbors, as more passengers have gotten accustomed to flying in style, according to a report by Asian Sky Group (ASG).
In its Business Jet Fleet Report, ASG notes that the country had a total of 50 private jets by the end of last year after taking delivery of two new aircraft.
These are Citation 525C (CJ4) and Pilatus PC-24, both of which are light jets or smaller planes designed for short to medium-distance flights with capacity of four to eight passengers.
READ: New year, new jets for rich Filipinos
Most of the private jets in the country’s fleet are manufactured by Gulfstream, which has 18 units operating here, followed by Textron with 15 jets and Bombardier with 10 aircraft. The rest are from Dassault, Airbus, Pilatus and other brands.
According to the report, Southeast Asia ranked first in net fleet growth last year with the delivery of 17 jets, showing 6.2-percent year-on-year growth.
“Southeast Asian countries are emerging as premier global tourism destinations, attracting new charter and private travel operators entering the market,” ASG notes.
“Many of these operators have operated new charter routes across the region, driving strong demand for business jets throughout the period,” it adds.
The business aviation consultancy firm also notes that the region has seen the rise of more high-net-worth individuals who can afford to travel in private jets.
“This surge was expected to fuel demand for business and private travel, further boosting the purchase of private jets,” the report says.
In the region, Singapore has the biggest private jet fleet with 83 aircraft, most of which are large and long-range jets.
Citation CJ4 plane —PHOTO FROM TEXTRON AVIATION
Regional data
Southeast Asia has 287 private jets as of end-2024.
Across Asia Pacific, the total fleet size is 1,156 aircraft, up 1.2 percent from 2023. “This marks the first rebound after three consecutive years of decline since 2020, indicating a recovery in market demand from prolonged sluggishness,” ASG says.
Mainland China has the most private jets in Asia-Pacific with 249 aircraft. This is followed by Australia with 214 jets and India with 168 jets.
French aerospace company Dassault Aviation, in an interview with the Inquirer, previously said that wealthy Filipinos are likely to buy new private jets this year to replace their aging aircraft.
In addition, Dassault sees demand for bigger jets as most of the private planes in the country are small to medium-sized models.
