Fast-flying PH-based execs add lift to bizjet demand in Southeast Asia

MALAYSIAN ROOST Graeme Duckworth, president of ExecuJet MRO Services; Jean Kayanakis, SVP of Dassault Aviation’s worldwide Falcon customer service; Anthony Loke, Minister of Transport Malaysia; Axel Cruau, Ambassador of France to Malaysia; and Ivan Lim, regional VP for Asia pose next to a Dassault Falcon 2000 business jet. —PHOTOS BY VANESSA B. HIDALGO

KUALA LUMPUR—Taylor Swift personified the jet-setter lifestyle when she traveled fast—and in style—aboard her private jet during the Eras Tour.

The Dassault Falcon 7X gave Swift the flexibility to arrive and depart at her choice of time, while avoiding busy airports. This ultra long-range jet that is capable of flying almost 6,000 nautical miles, escorted the global pop star to multiple intercontinental destinations without the need to stop and refuel.

Swift is a part of an elite set of new billionaires who are fueling the demand to travel in their own business jets for speed and efficiency. In 2023, the Philippine business aviation segment saw a 3-percent increase in total flights taken by top executives from the country’s biggest conglomerates to neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.

POP ICON Taylor Swift traveled on her private jet, a Dassault Falcon 7X, to timely reach multiple countries and perform during her “The Eras Tour.”  —PHOTO BY AP

Dassault Aviation, a French designer and manufacturer of business and military aircraft, is seeing a strong demand for business jet flights, particularly from the Philippines to North America and to Singapore.

Zooming out, Dassault also notes that there is a growing fleet of business jets in Southeast Asia. Further, the Asia-Pacific region is now the fastest-growing market for business jets, and the third largest after North America and Europe.

To help cater to the needs of the high-flying executives who prefer to have the heavy maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of their aircraft within the same region, aircraft maintenance company ExecuJet MRO Services recently built a new state-of-the-art facility at Subang Airport in Malaysia.

Covering 13,889 square meters, this new facility stands out as the largest business aviation MRO here. Operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, it is more than twice the area of ExecuJet MRO Services’ previous facility that was built in 2009. The new hangar facility can accommodate up to 15 medium and large business jets at the same time.

SUBANG STANDOUT With a footprint of 13,889 square meters, this facility is the largest business aviation MRO site in Malaysia

Subang Airport used to be the main international gateway for travelers going to Malaysia before the Kuala Lumpur International Airport became operational in 1998. Now, Subang has transformed into a dynamic aerospace park, business aviation and city airport.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, as well as many other global civil aviation regulators, has certified this new MRO facility. The Philippines is considered “a very important market” for ExecuJet MRO Services as they support numerous operators in the country. According to ExecuJet’s market reports, there are currently more than 60 business jets in the Philippines.

Jean Kayanakis, senior vice president for Dassault Aviation’s worldwide Falcon customer service and service center network, says that in terms of fleet, he sees a strong growth in the Philippines. Kanayakis adds that this is due to the country’s relatively strong gross domestic product.

“No doubt the demand is growing and I think it is related to the economy growing as well,” he adds. In addition, he says the ExecuJet facility can offer aircraft maintenance services to some aging private jets in the country.

TOP CREW The ExecuJet MRO facility is manned by aviation engineers and technicians who are internationally certified to perform line and heavy maintenance on some models of Falcons, Bombardier and Gulfstream aircraft. —VANESSA B. HIDALGO

The ExecuJet MRO facility is crewed by aviation engineers and technicians who are internationally certified to perform line and heavy maintenance on some models of Falcons, Bombardier, and Gulfstream aircraft registered with regional civil aviation authorities together with the United States Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

The MRO facility currently employs 84 highly skilled engineers and technicians. The workforce is expected to grow to 100 by year-end.

As a value-added service, ExecuJet will send a crew of engineers anywhere in the world to fix a grounded aircraft.

“If one of our Filipino clients were flying to Japan and [while] transiting in Bangkok, the aircraft broke down, they’ll just give us a call and we will send an engineer to Bangkok to rescue the aircraft, and make sure it’s fixed so that he can continue on his journey,” explains Ivan Lim, ExecuJet’s regional vice president for Asia.

ExecuJet has the capability to support the entire installed base of Dassault aircraft throughout the region. Also, this Malaysian facility is an authorized service center for Honeywell avionics, engines, and auxiliary power units, Rolls Royce BR710 engines, and General Electric CF34-1A/3A/3B/10E engines.

Maintenance services include air-frame heavy maintenance, line maintenance, aircraft-on-ground support,