Asian Sky Forum Returns for Its Fourth Annual Edition

Picture this: Ho Chi Minh City, late-June heat in the air. Somewhere amidst the buzz of arrivals and the clinking of glasses, exactly 300 business aviation professionals from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond gathered at the Vinpearl Landmark 81 Hotel for the fourth Asian Sky Forum.

From 23 to 25 June, 2026, the city transformed into a hub of networking and lively debates. The days were packed with in-depth panel discussions, revealing the latest trends shaping business aviation, whilst the nights were filled with evening drink receptions. Rolls-Royce powered the opening night’s cocktail reception at the hotel, whilst the night’s party was co-hosted offsite by DHT Aviation, Gulfstream Aerospace, Qatar Executive, and the San Marino Aircraft Registry.

The Forum itself opened with welcoming remarks from Asian Sky Group’s Jeffrey C. Lowe. From there, the discussion turned towards what’s happening in Vietnam with Asian Sky Group’s Dennis Lau presenting data from the Asian Sky Business Jet Fleet Report YE 2025, which set the tone for the following two days of discussions.

With the Forum being held in Vietnam, it was crucial that all of the major Vietnamese players were either in attendance or speaking. And indeed, during the very first panel session local companies Bluesky Airways, DHT Aviation and Vietstar Airlines were joined by Asia Flight Services for a group discussion about operating and owning aircraft in the country. On day two, the Forum attendees also heard from Sun Air, as well as new Vietnamese charter operator Zephyra.

Having begun to address the local market the focus shifted to a more global view with a fireside chat featuring Andy Robinson, a veteran of Rolls-Royce who talked through his incredible 49-year journey from an apprentice to Senior Vice President of Customer & Services – Business Aviation. Robinson joined Lowe on stage for the chat, sharing his experience leading worldwide business aviation customer support and aftermarket activities.

One of the highlights of the Forum was the dedicated OEM panel. With Vietnam being largely a large cabin market, representatives from Boeing Business Jets, Bombardier, Dassault Aviation, and Sun Air debated whether Vietnam’s preference for larger jets hits the mark – or if smaller, regionally tailored aircraft might be the smarter choice.

In another session, this time moderated by Asian Sky Group’s CEO, Nadav Kessler, delved into the tricky world of taxes and transaction hotspots, which sparked lively discussions about whether the Asian market’s resources are being put to their best use. Justin Yeung, Sales & Business Development Director, Asian Sky Group, said, “We have an extremely good working relationship with our industry partners, many of which are represented here. From my experience, we are very well supported here in the region for most of the transaction process.”

The forum also looked beyond Vietnam, with sessions on Japan and the Middle East. Kathy Xia, Founder & CEO, All Time Ground Service, shared insights about Japan’s market as well as practical considerations such as slot coordination, permits, cabotage, and crew visas. Hany Bakr, Senior Vice President of Aviation & Maritime Security, MedAire, discussed strategies to mitigate risk amid ongoing challenges in the Middle East and other global crisis hotspots.

With two more panels remaining, the focus shifted towards the charter market, with a spirited panel led by Avinode’s Brenton Melville, who brought together speakers from leading charter brokers and operators. Together they discussed how to stay competitive in a region bursting with opportunities, with Manuel Silva, Charter Services Manager, Asian Sky Group, saying, “For brokers, I believe the challenges are always the high prices and the limited options in terms of aircraft categories in this part of the world. From prospects coming from Europe or North America, for example, they are often surprised by prices that vary a lot from those regions.”

The two-day conference wrapped up with an AsBAA update on the organisation’s efforts to grow business aviation in the region. Although the session began with an AsBAA update given by the association’s chairman Phil Balmer, Asian Sky Group’s Director of Business Operations & Analytics, Alud Davies, then moderated a brisk panel discussion, with many questions taken directly from the attendees via Slido.

With the forum drawing to a close, and thoughts drifting towards which country the Forum will be held next year, Lowe once again thanked all of the sponsors and attendees, without whom the Forum wouldn’t have been as successful as it was.

Special thanks to attendees and to all sponsors, including ATG, Asia Flight Services, Avinode, Bermuda, Aircraft Registry, Boeing Business Jets, Bombardier, Chapman Freeborn, Crew Chiefs, Dassault Aviation, DHT Aviation, Gogo, Gulfstream, Hongkong Jet, Jetset, JSSI, Lufthansa Technik, Minsheng Financial Leasing, MJETS, Navstars, Qatar Executive, Rolls-Royce, San Marino Aircraft Registry, Textron Aviation, The Registry of Aruba, Vietstar Airlines, Vista, and Zephyra.

Check out the Full Photo Gallery here: www.flickr.com/photos/197727679@N03/albums/