Wealthy Chinese charter flights to watch Olympics_美文

Wealthy Chinese charter flights to watch Olympics

Download

Wealthy Chinese sports fans have been chartering private jets from Shanghai to London to watch the Olympic Games.

More than five chartered jets have set off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport for the British capital since the start of the Games, according to an airport immigration officer who did not want to be identified.

"More than 40 passengers, mostly Shanghai businessmen, traveled with their families and friends to the Olympic Games in chartered planes," he said.

The officer predicted more people will charter flights ahead of the Games closing ceremony on Sunday.

According to Jing Yiming, vice-president of Shanghai Airport Group, 132 business jets were registered in the Chinese mainland in 2011, up from 32 in 2008.

The business charter market in China is expanding, with more companies providing services to meet the needs of wealthy businessmen.

"Demand from regular clients has increased dramatically in the past three years, as more people have realized that chartered flights are a better choice than waiting in an airport for hours," said Wang Jiale, a sales representative for Deer Jet, a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines.

Deer Jet offered charter services for soccer fans to fly to the European Championship in June and July, and is now sending clients to London for the Games.