China GA Forum 2006
Radisson SAS Lansheng Hotel
March 15-17 th
Shanghai China
What happens when you put China's top general aviation decision makers and operators in a room with an experienced delegation of international GA professionals to discuss the age-old question, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" Naturally, a forum breaks out. This was the scene at the 4th Annual China General Aviation Forum 2006, as CAAC officials, airport management, and GA operators met with international attendees from firms such as Cessna, Cirrus Design, Rockwell Collins, and others to discuss the progression of China's young GA industry.
With Shanghai's robust economic development and scenic grandeur as the backdrop for this year's forum, attendees gathered with both optimism and curiosity, eager to learn from their respective international counterparts. Differentiating itself from the usual conferences and expos, the China GA Forum 2006 focused solely on providing a platform for the active facilitation of dialogue for the purpose of developing China's general aviation sector. With an array of attendees from flight training schools to tandem skydiving operations, this year's forum brought a true taste of international general aviation into the heart of China.
Tuesday, March 14th – Reception
With the air beginning to cool and the sun preparing to set, the conference hall at the Lansheng Hotel in Shanghai grew increasingly abuzz. Attendees from all corners of the globe began arriving for the meet-and-greet portion of the China General Forum 2006. Greeted by an architectural scale model of the new Bejing Capital Airport FBO, the largest FBO facility in the world, attendees get a sense of the type of investments and market potential that exist in China's general aviation sector.
By 6:30 PM, most of the attendees had situated themselves in the conference room, anxiously chatting amongst themselves. A glance around the room confirmed what event organizers had been predicting for months: a vastly diverse turnout with VIP's from all over the world. In the far corner of the conference room was the Capital Airports Holding Company, which helps to operate over 40 different airports in China, including Beijing Capital international Airport. Directly adjacent stood Mr. Gu Qing, Managing Director for Embraer China, alongside Mrs. Teresa O'Leary from Cessna, Peter Claeys of Cirrus Designs, and the delegation from Shanghai Airlines. In total, over 100 attendees participated during the four-day event, rendering the China General Aviation Forum 2006 one of the most successful general aviation meetings in Chinese history.
In true "first day of school" fashion, attendees arrived at the conference hall early with notebooks and pens ready, and took seats next to unfamiliar faces. At 8:30 AM, the GA Forum 2006 officially kicked into high gear. Francis Chao, Editor of the CCAR, provided on-the-fly translation as the first day of meetings got under way.
Within the first hour of the forum, a fundamental conundrum within China's general aviation sector had been raised, and would be discussed thoroughly throughout the remainder of the four-day event. Mr. Martin Lin, the Managing Director for Rockwell Collins China, and the Forum Chair for the American Chamber of Commerce Aerospace Program in China, likened the present general aviation situation to the age-old riddle, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" His meaning: that Chinese general aviation desperately needs new equipment and infrastructure, but that new equipment acquisition will not be initiated without new air routes; however, without new air routes, any equipment acquisition will be pointless; thus the industry continues down a perpetual cycle of stagnation.
After an American School of Aviation-sponsored lunch banquet, the attendees once again reassembled to discuss the current state of general aviation in China. During the afternoon session, Mr. Guan Dong Yuan, Managing Director for Embraer China, presented on the state of corporate aviation in China, a very fitting presentation, given that the forum was being held in the corporate aviation capital of China. Aside from the development and construction of China's first locally built regional jet, the ERJ135, Embraer is also an active player in the corporate aviation sector in China. Mr. Guan touched on the potential of China's business jet market, which is still vastly uncharted. At the moment, the total world fleet of corporate jets is approximately 13,124; of that number, only 26 aircraft call China their home. Thus there is much room for growth, and China's policy towards general aviation and equipment procurement once again became the topic of discussion, as presenters and attendees voiced their opinions and possible ways to motivate the government to promote healthy aviation growth nationwide.
The first day of presentations concluded with some thought-provoking dialogue between speakers and attendees. After a short intermission, forum attendees gathered again for a banquet dinner in downtown Shanghai.
Two charter busses loaded up the attendees and headed out to one of Shanghai's most famous Yunnan Restaurants, Dai Jia Cun. The half-hour drive offered the attendees a chance to wind down and enjoy Shanghai's famous sights, such as the Pearl Tower and the metropolitan downtown. The banquet dinner featured native folk dancing and music performances from China's countryside, and cuisine that encapsulated China's various provinces and flavors. In addition to partaking of good food, conversation and entertainment, a few members of the delegation were even coaxed into dancing a traditional Yunnan dance on the stage for all the patrons at the restaurant.
Thursday, March 16th - Day 2
After a bit of rest and a complimentary breakfast, the attendees were once again back to discussing the future of general aviation in China. The topics of the second day of presentations shifted from policy and conceptual ideas to more practical applications.
The day's events kicked off as Mr. Zhao Qi Jiang, the General Manager for the Beijing Capital Airports Holding Company VIP Department, introduced their current feature project, the largest FBO in the world. Located at the Beijing International Airport, the FBO is scheduled for completion in June of 2006, and will be able to accommodate approximately four 747s and 10-15 corporate jets, simultaneously. As he wrapped up his presentation, Mr. Zhao introduced perhaps the largest single international partnership opportunity of Forum. He announced, for the first time publicly, that BCAH was looking for an international business partner to operate the MRO portion of the FBO operation. As anticipated, a barrage of questions and speculation ensued as to which international partner would be a solid fit for the new Beijing FBO. The unprecedented announcement exemplified the premise of the China General Aviation Forum events and its focus on the development of international partnership and dialogue.
Without missing a beat, the next presentation kept the level of energy in the conference room sky-high, as Mr. Graeme Patten embarked on a topic unfamiliar to most Chinese aviation professionals--skydiving. Representing Absolute Skygear in Australia, Graeme put on a visceral display, featuring video and audio of the recent record-breaking group skydive in Thailand that left the attendees in awe. As China's economy continues to expand and its citizens begin looking for alternative forms of recreation, niche market recreational activities such as skydiving will undoubtedly witness a rapid and prominent increase, as demonstrated by Graeme's final question, "Who would want to do this?" A roomful of hands went up.
The second day of the forum concluded with a "Present Your Project" session, in which attendees had the opportunity to introduce current projects in China. From aircraft manufacturers to hover-cars, magazines to extreme sports, a buffet of aviation-related topics were touched upon and discussed. As the presentation portion of the GA Forum wound down, attendees prepared to get some rest in anticipation of the Shanghai Airlines Hongqiao FBO tour the next day.
Friday, March 16th - Day 3
Day three began with the one-on-one portion of the forum, in which attendees got the chance to sit down with other members to discuss topics of interest. The culmination of the last two days of presentations meant numerous topics of discussion and partnership potential. With the aid of on-the-fly translation provided by Francis Chao, true international dialogue was made possible between the Chinese and international parties.
In the afternoon, the international delegation set off to visit the Shanghai Airlines FBO at Hongqiao Airport. Greeted by the Shanghai Airlines staff, attendees witnessed firsthand the operation of Shanghai's only FBO and their Hawker business jet. The modest facility was very symbolic of China's entire GA infrastructure, a growing younger sibling looking up to and learning from its more mature brethren, the US and EU.
The delegation was then bussed across town to visit the old Shanghai airport facility, Long Hua Airport, which ceased commercial operations in August of 1966. Since, the facility has been reduced to a runway with a few scattered hangars lining its length. While, at first glance, the facility looks all but deserted, we soon found out that this relic facility was in actuality the home to Shanghai's only flying club, as well as China Eastern's flight training program. In a hangar on the far end of the runway, three meticulously cared-for Cessnas sat waiting to see some action. During our visit to the Long Hua Airport, we learned one very interesting fact about China's aviation environment, while chatting with the manager of China Eastern's private flight training program. He revealed that, because commercial aviation is in such demand, private air training has basically been put on hold, and noted that, currently, his aircraft offer only an aesthetic appeal, as they hardly ever see daylight.
The 2006 edition of the China General Aviation Forum ended with something old and something new. Attendees got a chance to witness the next chapter of Chinese aviation, GA and business aviation at Hongqiao Airport, as well as Shanghai's first commercial airport, Long Hua. The 2006 Forum accomplished many of its fundamental goals, the most important of which was to increase the international dialogue and foster new business relationships to aid the development of China's GA sector. This truly international event realized many important characteristics, both positive and negative, of China's emerging GA sector, and will no doubt be a springboard towards future business relationships and industry growth; in a country where development is often out of the hands of operators, gaining a voice is perhaps the first real step towards progress.
