Jenny Lau (middle), founder of Sino Jet, discusses business plans with her colleagues. An international, multicultural management team gives the company an edge in competition. Photos provided to China Daily

A plane in the custody of Sino Jet is ready to take off. The company aims to become a leading player in the industry.

Jenny Lau aims to pilot her company Sino Jet to new heights in the future, the executive said.

When she founded the company in Hong Kong in 2011, Lau set out to offer a whole range of services that includes buying, selling and chartering planes, maintenance, and training.

In its short history, it has developed fast, grabbing a foothold in the local market with a fleet of 10 planes.

Sino Jet made headlines in its early stages of development when it acquired a contract to maintain the private aircraft of film star Jackie Chan - a Legacy 650.

"Chan chose us mainly because of our diverse cultural backgrounds as well as considerate and tailored services," Lau said.

In addition to natives of Hong Kong, Sino Jet also has employees from the Chinese mainland, as well as the United States and other countries.

The company's cosmopolitan character has proven to be a competitive edge in Hong Kong, which is frequented by management from the world's largest foreign companies, she said.

"Why are we a top choice for foreign customers? That is because we have an international staff and there are no language or cultural barriers in our communication," Lau said.

She said that means a lot now that the market is developing fast in Hong Kong, adding that private jets made more than 7,000 takeoffs and landings in 2011 in the special administrative region.

Having got established in Hong Kong, Lau is looking northward as the industry is booming rapidly on the mainland.

Experts said the number of business aircraft in China had risen from 109 in 2011 to more than 170 by the end of 2012.

Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier predicted in a report on its website that its deliveries to China will reach 960 by 2020 and potential buyers can amount to 300,000.

"For those who have a tight schedule, private jets are becoming an increasingly important choice," said Lau.

She said now more than 80 percent of its clients are businessmen and celebrities on the mainland, adding that many mainland-based companies purchase private jets when they plan to give overseas road shows as they find that having private jets could halve the time spent on travel.

As Sino Jet forges ahead, Lau said it owes its success to the professional team that ensures safety and delivers considerate service.

"In terms of safety, all our mechanics have been in the industry for some 20 years. And we have even stricter rules when choosing a captain. To win an interview, he or she must have flown for more than 10,000 hours."

She is also urging her colleagues to continuously improve their services to "catch up or even surpass the service standards in developed markets in the Western world".

Lau gave an example of a client who booked a flight from China to Kazakhstan.

Due to weather conditions, something went wrong with the engine during the flight. Spotting the problem, Lau's colleagues immediately contacted the jet producer to replace the failed part.

When engineers from the jet producer could not make it in time, Lau decided to hire another jet at higher costs to ensure the client would not miss his scheduled meeting.

She said rapid resolution of the crisis won the repeat business of the client.

To seek greater development, Lau is cultivating cooperation worldwide. Its partners include jet manufacturers like Gulfstream, Bombardier, and Dassault Falcon as well as merchant banks and financial institutions.

She said the partnerships benefit Sino Jet's customers "as there are more teams at their service no matter where they are flying to."

On the basis of extensive cooperation, Sino Jet is also expanding its fleet. Lau said the number of planes it manages will reach 15 this year and another 15 are expected to join the fleet next year.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/12/2014 page7)