Leading aircraft sales and product support company, Hawker Pacific and its joint venture partner, the Shanghai Airport Authority, held a ground breaking ceremony last Friday to mark the start of construction at the site of their new business aviation facility at Shanghai's Hongquiao Airport.

The new facility will include a Fixed Base Operation (FBO), Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and Aircraft Management services, specifically aimed at the corporate aircraft market. It will be capable of handling up to 6,000 aircraft movements a year.

The Shanghai Airport Authority is the operator of the city's two airports which are amongst the busiest facilities in China.

Hawker Pacific Chief Executive, Alan Smith said: “This is an extremely important step for the company, one that has taken many years to achieve. Hawker Pacific is delighted to be associated with Shanghai Airport Authority in this exciting project.

“We recognised early the potential offered by China as the world’s fastest-growing economy and the importance of Shanghai, the country’s commercial centre, as being the ideal location for the provision of business aircraft services. The establishment of essential strategic relationships to achieve our goals has been a large part of the journey so far,” he said.

The new facilities will provide services to both existing domestic and international corporate aircraft as well as supporting the anticipated growth in future corporate/private aircraft ownership in China.

Hawker Pacific will provide its expertise to the joint venture which will initially focus on FBO and MRO activities. Aircraft Management Services will gradually be introduced in line with market development & demand.

Mr Smith noted that the Shanghai joint venture represents a neat fit with Hawker Pacific’s broader strategic growth plan for FBO/Aircraft Management Services in Asia and South-East Asia, regarded as being the power base for the world economy over the next few decades.

“It is also important to a number of aircraft manufacturers that product support capabilities are available in China and Asia as those markets grow.

“From a corporate perspective, we will continue to pursue expansion opportunities for our business services where it makes economic sense to do so and that is the case here,” Mr Smith said.

The new business aviation facility is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter 2009.

Notes to editors:

1. Hawker Pacific is a market leader in integrated civil and military aerospace sales and product support services in South East Asia, Australia, the Pacific and the Middle East and is one of the largest independent companies of its type in those regions.

2. Hawker Pacific represents some of the world's leading aircraft manufacturers, including Hawker Beechcraft Corporation and Bell Helicopter and is highly focused on product support to major OEMs including Hawker Beechcraft, Dassault Falcon Jet, Embraer and Bell Helicopter as well as regional and special mission aircraft.

3. Hawker Pacific’s core activities include MRO, structural modification and support services to a wide range of fixed and rotary wing aircraft for corporate, charter, defence and special mission operators throughout the region. Other services include aircraft and engine maintenance, repair and overhaul, special mission aircraft modifications, design engineering, avionics parts and service, plus the provision of spare parts, exchange rotables and equipment sales.

4. Hawker Pacific is Australia’s premier Fixed Base Operator (FBO) with a network of facilities in Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Singapore and expansions into Shanghai and Malaysia. The company’s FBOs offer VIP services and crew facilities, 24/7 on demand aircraft charter from a modern aircraft fleet, Flight Operations and total aircraft management.

5. Hawker Pacific holds the highest certification levels and accreditations including CASA Airline Support Services Certification, ISO 9001 Bureau Veritas accreditation, plus OEM/Customer/ airworthiness approvals by 26 major global suppliers and civil and military regulatory authorities. These set the company apart from most other companies operating in the region, giving it the capacity to deliver complex special mission modifications for both civil and military customers.