Candy Chung, Global Aviation Asia

Candy Chung, CEO of Global Aviation Asia, discusses her passion for aircraft, the Asian market and the challengers of being a woman in the aviation industry.

It would be fair to say that Candy Chung has probably had to overcome more obstacles in her career than most aircraft brokers. Whilst aviation is still a male dominated industry, the ratio of females in managerial roles in China is even lower. “It took a lot of time and effort to earn a positive perception towards a business which is run by a woman,” she says.

Now able to reflect on her success, Chung believes it has taken more than being able to sell aircraft to assert herself as a top broker. “Usually sales are just one link of a chain,” she says. “Clients seek assistance on operating, registering, sourcing flight crew and arranging charter infrastructure as well.”

How did you get into the aviation industry?

“I have always had a passion for airplanes ever since I was a child, but I was more concentrated on helping to bring mainland Chinese companies to the stock market. Knowing the potential of growth of the industry in China and surrounding countries was overwhelming, I decided to put my passion into work and established my own business in aviation a few years ago.

“This proved to be a very hard goal for a person like me who did not know anything about the aviation business. I was already supplying high-net worth individuals in China with exclusive wines at the time, and had a network of potential clients. On a daily basis I was observing their struggle to receive a full package of services related to aviation. I initially started to assist on a case-by-case basis and the existing trust helped a lot. This initiative evolved into a fully institutionalised company in time and now I can describe myself as an entrepreneur who has established a boutique aviation advisory company to help Asian businessmen acquire their own jet and operate it properly.”

What’s the best part of your job?

“It’s very challenging and very interesting. The clients you are meeting on a daily basis are the very best in business, and that really opens your eyes.”

How do you feel once you have completed a sale?

“An aircraft sale is not a one day job. The whole process takes a lot of work and sometimes the client ends up feeling like a close friend or family member. Once you finally close the sale, the feeling is amazing.”

What makes a good aircraft salesperson?

“In a sales business, listening to the needs of client and offering the right product is a very important feature. You really need to know the client well, so that you can offer the right product. Providing the client with as much information as possible is essential – as is sharing your experiences of similar cases, informing client of the risks and potential bottlenecks.”

What advice would you give to someone starting out?

“Knowing only the aircraft models that you are selling is not sufficient; it is imperative that a new colleague knows about other aspects as well, such as flight operations and country regulations.

“It takes a lot of patience and determination to become successful, and this is true even in an economy growing as fast as China. The broker must inform the client proactively about the progress of a transaction and have a good team of aviation lawyers, engineers and finance specialists to introduce to the client.”