Jet Edge has entered a deal to lease three Embraer Legacy 650 business jets from Minsheng Financial Leasing, marking the Chinese firm’s entry into the US market.
The three aircraft were delivered at the end of March, and are expected to enter service in the coming months, says Jet Edge chief executive Bill Papariella.
Jet Edge has been active in the Asia-Pacific since 2012, when it entered a partnership with Asia Jet to establish a base in Hong Kong. This led to its forming a relationship with Minsheng.
Wan Xiaofang, president of Minsheng Financial Leasing, says the Jet Edge deal “continues a strategy to become a dominant global player in the aircraft leasing market.”
Jet Edge says that it now has 55 aircraft in its fleet, and is adding 10 more.
Minsheng is a major player in China’s business aviation market.
Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that it manages 64 in-service business jets, with orders for 17 additional aircraft and one in storage.
Its fleet includes about two dozen types, including 16 Gulfstream G550s, 14 G450s, and eight Legacy 650s. It also manages types from Boeing, Bombardier, Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, and Dassault Falcon.
Its clients are mainly Chinese business jet charter firms such as Deer Jet and Nanshan Jet.
