Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 10X, a next-generation long-range business jet aimed at growing demand in Asia-Pacific.

As Asia-Pacific outpaces other regions in aviation growth, industry players – including aircraft manufacturers – are stepping up efforts to target passengers and clients in the region.

Despite macroeconomic headwinds, Asia-Pacific has shown resilience in international travel, with international revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) growing by 8% year on year in 2025, exceeding the global average RPK growth of 6.8%, according to Alton Aviation Consultancy.

The agency said this growth reflects the continued normalisation of cross-border mobility and visa liberalisation in some parts of the region.

Top demand drivers include China, India and Southeast Asia, which together are expected to account for eight of the top 10 markets by RPK between 2024 and 2044, Alton noted.

In Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are regarded as key players and are expected to rise into the top 20 largest markets for air passenger demand by 2044, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

In terms of air passengers, the Asia-Pacific airlines shared 34.5% of total world traffic last year, with an average 84.2% load factor, the second-highest next to Europe, noted IATA.

Carlos Brana, executive vice-president for civil aircraft at Dassault Aviation, maker of Falcon business jets, said the company has seen demand from emerging markets such as Vietnam and India, in addition to established markets like Malaysia and Indonesia.

The company also expects a recovery from large markets such as China, which have slowed over the past decade.

Thailand also has growing business jet demand, as current airline networks may not match clients’ needs to reach destinations in Europe or the US, said Mr Brana.

He said the current trend shows flight hours for business jets have increased from previous years, reflecting rising demand for business aircraft in 2026.

Mr Brana said many prospective clients in the region are interested in longer-range aircraft. For instance, they need an aircraft capable of flying non-stop from Singapore to Europe, Africa or the US, such as the Falcon 6X, which has a range of 5,500 nautical miles.

Dassault plans to roll out its newest long-range Falcon 10X next month, while also presenting the Falcon 2000 series for air traffic in large countries with many small islands, such as Indonesia.

He said the post-pandemic supply chain disruption had been largely resolved for the company.

Last year, Dassault booked 31 aircraft sales, delivered 37 aircraft, and aims to maintain at least the same number this year.

The current production period stands at roughly two years and the company has a sales backlog of 73 aircraft.

Mr Brana said a good sign was when tariffs on aviation products between the US and Europe were removed, returning to the free trade agreement of 1979, although future policy changes remain possible.

More than 2,200 Falcons are in operation worldwide, of which about 100 are in Asia-Pacific. While 70% of its fleet is in the US, current demand is shifting more towards Asia, he said.