For once, it’s easier to get slots at Hong Kong, and there may even be parking, too — if the airlines don’t fill it all up with grounded widebodies.
OPERATIONS
“The main takeaway is that operating to Asia during these times is challenging but not impossible.”
Of course, Aljoscha Subasinghe, business development manager for Asia Flight Services Co. Ltd., in Bangkok, is referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Most countries appear, at first glance, to have shut their borders entirely,” he continues, “but usually there is enough room in the regulations to allow for certain types of visitors, such as business travelers invited by a local entity, to apply for visas and other entry documents.” A year after the international lockdown in response to the killer virus that as of April 6, according to Reuters, had infected 131.5 million people and claimed 3 million lives, the world struggles to contain COVID and get back to business. Asia is no exception, and while airline service there has been drastically reduced—as it has everywhere on the planet—business aviation continues to operate, though within now-familiar restrictions such as mandatory quarantining of crew and passengers for up to 14 days. (As we’ll see, there are workarounds for crew-only positioning flights and a handful of locations where crew-rest overnights are possible—but they’re in the minority.) Things are opening up—but slowly, as countries take measures to counteract surges of COVID-19 infections. In states that have managed to reduce the infection rate, the public health strategy has been to prevent the likelihood of “imported” cases from outside national borders. Taiwan, for example, has been successful in containing the spread of COVID-19 largely because of its quarantine and immigration policies, allowing in only Taiwanese nationals and effectively banning visitation by citizens of other countries. Within the greater region, however, visitation strategies may be determined by whether a country or city-state is a transport hub, e.g., Singapore and Hong Kong. While Taiwan has stopped accepting transit flights as part of its lockdown, the island is not generally considered a hub or hot spot for transfers anyway. Meanwhile, imported COVID-19 cases were not uncommon in Hong Kong because of its status as a transport hub.
Little Accord in Rules Business aviation flight crews planning missions into Asia will quickly learn that every country in the region has set out its own rules for access during the pandemic. The unique concerns of national governments and diverse cultures that characterize the region have combined in a lack of regulatory harmonization regarding entry requirements of individual countries. So not surprisingly, issues of sovereignty come into play, as each country responds to the pandemic in its own way.
MARK RALSTON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Japan, for example, has chosen to forego lockdowns in lieu of “recommended curfews,” while more-stringent actors like China have locked down entire cities, requiring residents to undergo COVID-19 testing if confirmed cases are discovered in their vicinities. Thus, the lack of harmonized regulations and policies containing the spread of the disease impedes countries’ ability to create a free flow of travelers within the region, rendering the establishment of “travel bubbles” almost impossible. Also, because the Asian business aviation industry is not as mature as its counterparts in Europe and North America, governments tend to be slow responding to the requests and the needs of the community. But as Jeffrey Chiang, COO of the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA), points out from his Hong Kong office, there are no issues preventing operators from flying into Asia, other than the accepted responsibility for international flight crews to do their homework to stay updated with the latest restrictions and required documentation for entry. That research can often reveal some exceptions and even workarounds. “If business in a particular country is necessary,” Chiang says, “that is, if the trip is essential, the key is to…understand the entry and permit requirements of the destination country.” And because every nation maintains its own entry and quarantine policies, “this research is absolutely essential,” he adds. “Even in bigger countries like China, each city may have slightly different policies.” South Korea, for example, still allows foreigners to enter the country, but avoiding a 14-day mandatory quarantine requires an invitation letter from a local company and an application for an exemption certificate through the South Korean government subject to approval of relevant paperwork. “Since China implemented strict containment policies early on,” Chiang says, “it is opening up again because the disease has been largely contained and people within China are free to move around. According to some of our [AsBAA] members in China, domestic travel has been quite active. China’s Great COVID Wall UAS International Trip Support’s regional director for China, Carlos Schattenkirchner, agrees. “Domestic traffic is picking up, both Chinese and visiting operators,” he told BCA from his office in Beijing. But the real challenge confronting those “visiting operators” is getting into the People’s Republic of China in the first place. According to Schattenkirchner, the pandemic has divided visitation into two categories: ferry flights with only crew on board and regular flights carrying passengers. “For the latter,” he explains, “it is almost impossible [to come in] at the moment. With passengers of any nationality—even Chinese--aboard, you need a special invitation letter and approval from the state council presiding over your destination.” Additionally, anyone desiring entry will need a new visa, as existing long-term visas issued after March 2020 were voided when the PRC imposed stricter rules at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown. “This makes it almost impossible for passengers to fly in on private jets,” Schattenkirchner concludes, adding that applicants should be prepared for the local councils to reject their requests, “as they have tended to do that anyway.” On the other hand, deadheading in, crew only, is not as big an issue, provided they have valid visas issued after March 2020 and are willing to undergo quarantine procedures: a minimum of 14 days in some locations and up to 21 in others. Note that quarantine hotels are selected by the local health authorities and there will be at least two COVID-19 tests administered while under quarantine, as well as frequent temperature monitoring. Rumors continue to circulate that in order to get into the PRC, inoculations with the China-produced Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccines will be required. “As a result,” Schattenkirchner says, “there has been a lot of confusion around this issue. The truth is that, while applicants who can prove they’ve received a Chinese vaccination will have easier access in terms of obtaining a visa and less documentation will be required, it otherwise makes no difference. Toward the end of the year, it might be a benefit, but for now, it only assists the visa process.” In other words, it’s not a game-ender. If they are not planning to enter China and remain for a visit, it may be possible for operators to perform quick turnarounds to pick up passengers and depart--all contingent, of course, on being able to convince the PRC authorities to issue landing permits. The clincher is that the crew must remain aboard the aircraft, and as long as they do so, Schattenkirchner says, they’re good to go. “The problem is that if anything happens on the ground--a passenger delayed, a maintenance issue, a crew duty time issue, any delays like this—everyone has to quarantine and then come under the control of the local health authorities from the PRC Center for Disease Control. Once you leave the aircraft you are not under the aviation rules but the local disease control authorities, and this makes things really complicated.” On the other hand, Schattenkirchner says, “Once the aircraft is here and the crew has quarantined and tested multiple times [with negative results] and is released, you can fly domestically where there are not too many restrictions at the moment.” It’s doubtful, though, that many business jet operators would be willing to keep an expensive jet on the ground and its presumably highly paid flight crew cooling their heels in a quarantine hotel for 14-21 days. Old Asia hand and contract pilot Pat Dunn’s advice is simply, “Don’t go, because it will be a pain in the neck. Business visas have been canceled and crew visas are on a case-by-case basis. Only if you own a business in-country can you expect to be admitted. Then you need a visa—a new one every time you go--and existing ones can only be used to re-enter the queue for a new visa, so these are effectively one-shot visas. Even if you have a business [based] in-country, you will still have to quarantine in order to enter.” While it would seem that entering China from Hong Kong might constitute a workaround, “To go to the mainland from Hong Kong you must transit through Macao and vice versa returning,” Dunn points out, “and you still have to have a visa to go to the mainland.” The timeworn proverb dating from China’s dynastic past, “The mountains are high, and the emperor is far away,” comes into play here, too, as we hear tales of cities in the country where operators have been permitted to arrive, remain overnight to obtain crew rest, and depart the following day. Technically, this is illegal, but as one pilot, who requested anonymity, told BCA, “No one’s talking about it, but these things can be done. No one explains how they got there.” But in the interest of international relations (and not getting that aforementioned expensive business jet impounded), it’s sensible to follow the rules. Also, it’s noteworthy that Seoul, traditionally an aircrew transfer and layover stop for transpacific flights, especially going in and out of China, has reportedly been getting more business lately. Retrieving the necessary preflight planning information for trips into the PRC is complicated by the fact that there is not one official source (or web link) in the government bureaucracy. That is, each department impinging on entry into the country has its own portal, e.g., general entry rules, visa application, etc. “The Chinese consulate or embassy in your country of residence can provide information,” Schattenkirchner says. “Our advice is to have good preparation and a local partner. Use your handler to have someone standing behind you. There are a lot of different authorities involved. Before the pandemic, an operator’s only requirement was the permit from the China Civil Aviation Administration—now the CAA doesn’t care as much since the priority is whether the local authorities will accept the flight. The process has changed with many stakeholders involved.” Hong Kong in the Spotlight One cannot approach the subject of China without considering the conflicted relationship between the mainland and its offshore possession, Hong Kong. Reverting to China after the UK’s 99-year lease on the island expired in 1997, the territory—now governed as a “special administrative region”—exists today as an anomaly: a capitalist economy imbedded in one of the last remaining communist states. Initially, the PRC kept Hong Kong at arm’s length, governing it under a policy of “one country, two systems.” After all, as the most powerful financial engine in Asia (and home to the largest concentration of high-net-worth individuals in the world), Hong Kong was generating billions of yuan for the coffers of mainland China. But in recent years, the PRC’s fear that this freewheeling example of Western culture was setting a bad example for the strictly controlled mainland spurred the government to gradually tighten its grip on the island. (The greatest, nagging fear that the PRC nurtures—especially under the rule of current President Xi Jinping--is an uprising among the general population.) New laws were imposed limiting freedoms of Hong Kong residents. Alleged violators now could be extradited to the mainland and tried under the PRC’s much more stringent legal code and subjected to harsh punishments, often life sentences in “re-education” camps. The crackdown was immediately challenged by Hong Kong residents, especially young people who quickly organized mass demonstrations that have been met by increasingly more violent reactions from the mainland-supported police. Always in the background has lurked the specter of the home government sending in detachments of the People’s Liberation Army to quell the unrest, as it did during the1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations and subsequent massacre in which hundreds of Chinese citizens lost their lives. How this will eventually shake out remains to be seen, but in the meantime, operators with business interests in Hong Kong should monitor the situation closely as it continues to develop. It should be noted that even the COVID pandemic has failed to damp down the dedication and enthusiasm of the demonstrators. But if it’s essential to go into Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok International Airport for a passenger repatriation, a medical drop or pickup, or simply to conduct business, it’s still possible. Of course, the usual cyber-chase for permits, visas, slots, parking, etc., to get into this highly congested airdrome will still be necessary—only now made even more bureaucratic to accommodate COVID-19 concerns. In Bangkok, Julie Ambrose, director of aviation at ASA Group, reports that her employer has worked “a number of flights in and out of Hong Kong, particularly medical flights. For once, there are no parking issues in Hong Kong! They have updated the requirements the most of any destination in the region in terms of who can come in and other issues.” Sometimes it seems these requirements change from hour to hour, so the international operator’s mantra continues to apply: Check early and often for the latest updates. “Hong Kong is still one of the top business aviation destinations due to its status as an international financial hub,” the AsBAA’s Chiang added. “There are no reasons to be concerned about flying in there. It is still a safe place, if you abide by the local laws. It is a major metropolis like others in the world and should be approached that way. Parking today is still tight but slightly better than pre-COVID because so many of the airliners have been moved overseas for storage.” COVID and the Mekong Region “We used to call it the Indochina Region, but that was a name from the colonial period,” explains Aljoscha Subasinghe, business development manager for Asia Flight Services. The 790,000-sq.-km area is now named for the Mekong River, which flows south from its origins on the Tibetan Plateau, forming the borders of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and southwestern China. It is significant that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the region was on its way to becoming an economic powerhouse in Asia and, thus, an increasingly popular destination for business aviation.
“Given that,” Subasinghe says, “we expect business aviation to grow as well, as [air] traffic tracks economic growth quite closely. Compared to other areas of the world, we are starting off from a much smaller base, so we have a marginal level of traffic at the moment, most of which originates from outside the region—East Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America--either bringing people into the region or flying them out.” During the (pre-COVID) “Before Times,” the Mekong Region itself was seeing an increase in local citizens making use of private aviation for their business and personal travel. This was a hopeful sign, Subasinghe believes, as it was indicative of an emerging middle class that was beginning to understand the usefulness of business aviation. “We know the local demand will increase,” he says. “With the pandemic, most of the commercial links have been shut off and are slow in being reinstated. The airlines are maintaining a basic level of activity between the major hubs, but there are plenty of locations that are not being served at all, and travelers would have no other choice but to fly privately. Out of this comes the benefit of avoiding crowds and not exposing yourself to an increased number of people.” The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns also saw an uptick in passenger repatriation flights, both into and out of the region. Another benefit of using private aviation, Subasinghe notes, is that operators can assist their passengers with the increased documentation they need during the pandemic so flights can be approved and passengers allowed in. “These rules change a lot, as well,” he says, “so it’s important to have someone on the ground to provide that information.” He cited a list of required items: embassy-issued visas, quarantine hotels and confirmation of how passengers will be transferred to and from them, required certificates from medical professionals that passengers are fit to travel, health insurance certificates with sufficient coverage including COVID-19 treatment, and, in most cases, a negative PCR test within 72 hr. of departure time. Cambodia, for example, requires a $2,000 deposit for certain travelers (based on visa type), which is returned to passengers after they complete their quarantines—sans the cost of the mandatory post-arrival COVID tests, which is deducted. Thailand requires that the health insurance policy provides $100,000 coverage, be valid for the duration of the stay, and verifies that COVID-19 treatment is included. A Haven for Crew Rest But here’s some good news for flight crews heading into Cambodia: The government has drawn a distinction between passengers and crew so the latter can obtain visas upon arrival along with their COVID-19 tests. However, at the quarantine hotel, they can depart as soon as their tests show negative, avoiding the full 14-day quarantine period. On the other hand, passengers have to quarantine for the full 14 days. “This is very useful,” Subasinghe says, “because it is one of the few places in the region where operators could get mandatory crew rest, as many countries will not allow crew to overnight without a full quarantine. Vietnam and Laos will not allow crew in without a visa; Thailand will, but for the most part, only if they are picking up or dropping passengers. Thus, Cambodia has now become a popular crew rest and tech stop for the region.” Julie Ambrose, director of aviation at ASA Group, adds that Cambodia is also an option for private-to-international commercial transfers with prior approval and notification. Passengers can expect that in some countries, e.g., Thailand, a mobile app will be required to track their movements to ensure they abide by the isolation rules. “The rules are changing all the time,” Subasinghe reminds readers, “so operators should stay up to date with the entry restrictions of their destinations. Having a strong ground-handling agent is very useful, otherwise operators or passengers would have to organize these things themselves.” Does having been inoculated with a recognized COVID-19 vaccine carry any “cred” in allowing easier access to any Asian countries? “We are waiting to see when Thailand will allow visitors as long as they have been vaccinated,” Ambrose says. “The COVID advisory board [CCSA, or the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration] was scheduled to meet the first week of April. Flights are approved on a case-by-case basis. They have identified 11 categories of visitors who can enter and what visas are required if they fulfill the criteria or if they have a long-term visa. Some crews can remain overnight depending on the situation [e.g., duty time]. Check to see if the authorities will allow the flight if based on one of the categories.” Sadly, since the military coup d’état in Myanmar (Burma) and subsequent pushback from the supporters of deposed President Aung San Suu Kiy, the stability of the country continues to deteriorate. Subasinghe characterizes this as “a shame, because the country has been getting more investment over recent years, and we’ve seen aviation markets improve there, but under the current situation, investors will think twice.” However, even today, he points out, it is still possible to operate into Myanmar, but, understandably, a lot of restrictions and limitations abound--for example, no crew entry unless the operator has a diplomatic exemption. Fuel is very limited, and in some cases unavailable, due to strikes. “We have offices that are operating there and we are watching how the situation develops,” Subasinghe says. But the star of the Mekong Region right now is the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, another communist nation that has wrapped itself around an increasingly capitalist economy—one of its biggest customers and investors being its former wartime enemy, the U.S. “Vietnam has experienced the most-impressive economic growth of all of Southeast Asia,” Subasinghe says. It has also enjoyed success in controlling COVID-19, much like the nations of Iceland and New Zealand, by moving quickly to close its borders and establishing quarantines and testing procedures. And while business aviation operators can fly into the country, according to Ambrose, “It is easier if you have a local sponsor or holdings in the country. The majority of flights to Vietnam we handle are U.S. or European business aviation operators that have holdings there--as long as they meet the entry criteria, they can come in. Check with trip support or local handlers, and ask for the latest rules.” Meet Me in Singapore Singapore, the island planted nearly on the equator at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, vies with Hong Kong as the premier financial center in Asia. It was hit hard by the COVID-19 virus with 26,000 cases, among the largest number of infections of any Asian country, attributed mostly to foreign workers on the island living in crowded dormitories. In response, the government cracked down, imposing strict penalties for not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing, or breaking quarantine or curfew. Just how seriously the government that has banned chewing gum from the island takes these sanctions was discovered in May 2020 by a FedEx captain who broke curfew, left his quarantine hotel to shop for masks and sanitization supplies, and was caught, fined $7,000, and jailed for four weeks. He and his two first officers had been forced to undergo a 14-day quarantine because their duty assignment had taken them through China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan and Australia during the previous two weeks. Pat Dunn, who lived in Singapore when he captained a Gulfstream out of Seletar Airport, compared the pandemic restrictions at the city-state to those of China. “They are talking about opening up, but so far, nothing is, and you still have to quarantine for 14 days coming in,” he says. “I have a friend based there with a Global 5000 who is flying a little but not much; he goes to China maybe a trip a month. His operation also has a facility in Indonesia with a G650 based there. I’m hearing there is not a lot of cross-border flying there.” Reportedly, Singapore is in discussion with Australia about forming a “travel bubble” between the two nations that would avoid quarantining. Also, according to Julie Ambrose, director of aviation at ASA Group, Singapore just launched its “Connect @ Changi” policy that will allow eligible passengers to fly into Changi International Airport, go to a designated hotel, and meet with other people who have also flown in to conduct business. “If you have people based there, they can meet with you, too--however, only with a Plexiglas barrier separation [as in most public places in the U.S.]. Maximum stay is 14 days.” (Visit connectatchangi.sg/meetings for more information.) In Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is another good option for crew-only RONs where they can stay for up to 48 hr. at designated hotels without a PCR test. Dunn says that while Malaysia has been locked down during the pandemic, “It is slowly opening up but still with curfews,” and some internal operations are possible. “You can get a permit to enter, but you still will have to quarantine.” ‘Bottlenecks’ Still Persist There is no doubt that COVID-19 has been a challenge to aviation operations in Asia, as it has everywhere else in the world, but AsBAA COO Jeffrey Chiang believes that while the pandemic will pass, a preexisting problem remains in Asia. “The infrastructure bottlenecks that existed before the pandemic are still the primary challenge to the growth of business and general aviation in the region,” he says. “Last year, when countries started closing their borders and airlines were canceling or reducing scheduled services, business aviation stepped up to assist in bringing back--or repatriating--stranded passengers.” The AsBAA is assuming that this surge of interest in business aviation by new users who chose it, despite its cost, as the only option to leave or return to their countries will continue. “Moving forward,” Chiang says, “it is expected this will create a new demand for both business aviation charter and ownership, especially when taking into account the security, safety--from the point of view of health risks and number of contact points vis-à-vis commercial airlines—and convenience of business aviation over commercial airlines. Prices may not be as astronomical as many people think they are, especially when traveling in large groups. People now see the value of business aviation, especially when it comes to cases of limited service between cities due to reduced airline routes and frequency.” Noting that Cathay Pacific has placed 44% of its fleet in long-term storage as a result of the pandemic and precipitous downturn in service, Chiang speculates that until the commercial carriers return to full capacity, people will see the attractiveness of business aviation, especially for group travel. “When it comes to access, there is little choice but to use the major international airports [because in most Asian cities there are no reliever or general aviation airports], and the ground handling charges tend to be more expensive, on average, than in the U.S. and Europe. “Because of the infrastructure challenges and the fact that we are sharing these busy international airports with commercial and cargo airlines,” he continued, “this affects slots that business aviation can use, and because of the pre-COVID congestion, that limits parking for business jets and how long they can stay at a particular location. These are all infrastructure issues Asia has been grappling with for some time.” In the meantime, as the pernicious COVID-19 virus continues to circulate around the world, Julie Ambrose advises business aviation operators intent on flying into Asia to “be prepared for changes that occur every day. We want everything to open up. We are prepared. We want flights. Check with your handler and/or trip support company for the latest rules and restrictions for your proposed flight.”
AsBAA in the Time of COVID As business aviation continues its growth in Asia, its advocacy group, the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA), is maturing along with it. An international partner of the U.S. NBAA, the AsBAA boasts more than 140 members and a professional staff with offices in Hong Kong. “Now that there is a full-time executive team,” COO Jeffrey Chiang told BCA, “we hope to take the Association to new heights. COVID-19 has been tough on our industry, but in light of the pandemic and inability to travel and meet physically, we have created more online initiatives like last year’s AsBAA Virtual Safety Summit 2020. This was the Association’s first time organizing such an online event, and it was a huge success.” The AsBAA continues to engage with its members through webinars and other virtual events focusing on air crew mental health, aviation safety and a host of other topics. “So while most of our members are still unable to meet physically,” Chiang continues, “we are still keeping members engaged with virtual offerings until quarantine-free travel and physical gatherings are possible again. In places like China, where physical gatherings have somewhat resumed, we have been able to organize our in-person Safety Day event for the aviation community.”
Externally, the AsBAA continues to engage with governments and relevant stakeholders to push its agenda forward in the region because, Chiang says, “Long term, we see a lot of growth in Asia that could truly show the true benefits of business and general aviation and how it helps the regional economies.”
