Vista Global sees 25% rise in Apac private jet traffic; Malaysia emerging as key Asean destination

[SINGAPORE] Vista Global’s annual flight traffic from the Asia-Pacific region rose 25 per cent year on year in 2025, the business aviation group said on Thursday (May 21).

The Greater China region, in particular, recorded 32 per cent growth in annual flight traffic from 2024; traffic from mainland China rose 28 per cent.

Vista said that Shanghai and Hong Kong are among its top destinations by traffic volume.

Headquartered in Dubai, Vista offers the use of private jets for commercial or corporate purposes. Its private jet business, VistaJet, is the second-largest in the world, coming in behind American company NetJets, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.

Vista said that it has flown state leaders and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients to more than 200 countries and territories, and covered 96 per cent of the world.

The company led a tour with media and key stakeholders through Shanghai and Hong Kong from Wednesday as part of the launch of its new Bombardier Global 8000 jet.

An upgrade from the Global 7500 edition, the flagship model has a raised maximum cruising speed and range. It can fly non-stop for 17 hours, with a range of 8,000 nautical miles (14,816 km), versus the Global 7500’s 7,700 nautical miles.

The aircraft has “the largest four-zone cabin in its class”, Vista said.

It can seat 14 passengers or sleep up to eight passengers.

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Amy Yang, VistaJet’s vice-president of marketing for Asia-Pacific and India, Middle East and Africa, said that such enhancements are important to allow passengers to reach their desired destinations significantly faster and with more comfort.

Crystal Wong, president for Asia-Pacific at VistaJet, told The Business Times that, in the past year, much traffic in Asia went to Hong Kong, with demand up 35 per cent year on year.

Vista said that this comes amid a growing UHNW base in the region due to a “rising tide of global business interest”, citing as evidence US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Beijing with business leaders in sectors such as artificial intelligence, technology and finance.

Wong said that while Hong Kong is still a “key financial hub” in the Asia-Pacific, more travellers are visiting the city for leisure, with a growing number heading there “just for a quick meal”.

Flights between Hong Kong and Shanghai came in among Vista’s top three routes in the region in 2025 – closely following Tokyo-Hong Kong round trips, company data showed.

Vista said that cross-continental travel between Asia, Europe and North America booked “steady growth” in 2025 from the year before.

Among South-east Asian countries, Malaysia stood out as a key destination, with inbound business aviation traffic rising by about 70 per cent year on year.

Wong noted, however, that such travel to the Asean nation is still largely for business purposes.