350i Makes EBACE Debut, C90GTx On Tour

Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) gave EBACE its first look at the new Beechcraft King Air 350i turboprop on Monday.  HBC received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Type Certification for the twin-engine aircraft in December and recently made its first delivery to a European customer, Belgian charter operator Philippe Bodson .Deliveries began in December 2009.

King Air 350i

"We are pleased to have on display the 350i - a state-of-the-art version of an aircraft with a rich tradition of reputable service throughout the region and around the world," said Sean McGeough, HBC president, Europe, Middle East and Africa region. "The King Air 350i matches its predecessors in fuel efficiency and mission flexibility while offering a modernized cabin that beats many large business jets with a much higher price tag."
 
Bodson, founder and general manager of the private charter company ASL, operates the King Air 350i out of Antwerp. ASL offers corporate charter service to approximately 100 European destinations in Europe and North Africa with the 350i and several other King Air models that are part of the company's fleet of 14 aircraft.
 
"We are very glad to have the first King Air 350i in service in Europe," said Bodson, who started ASL in 1998. "We know the value of the aircraft and it is a very good thing to promote to our customers. The 350i is also particularly good for special missions, like those to small airfields that cannot be done by other aircraft. The spacious and modern cabin of the 350i accommodates up to nine passengers and is the perfect solution for the short and medium ranged missions. It offers a very high price quality ratio and the aircraft attracts specific clients who choose this concept above a jet on these routes."

Meanwhile deliveries are already underway for tue recently certified Beechcraft King Air C90GTx - an upgraded and enhanced version of the world's most successful general aviation turbine aircraft. The first King Air C90GTx was recently delivered to Pedro Zeballos of Panama. The new King Air C90GTx, which debuts this week at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland, features impressive enhancements to both payload and performance. Prior to EBACE, the company completed the first demonstration tour across the Eastern U.S. with the King Air C90GTx.
 

King Air 90GTx

 
"With deliveries underway, we are pleased to showcase the aircraft during EBACE," said Sean McGeough, HBC president, Europe, Middle East and Africa region. "We expect high interest from our customers in what is one of the greenest and most efficient aircraft available. From EBACE, the aircraft will continue on to a number of locations throughout the Eastern Hemisphere to provide customers with an opportunity to see firsthand this exceptional aircraft."
 
Key enhancements to the new King Air C90GTx include an increase in maximum gross weight and the addition of composite winglets, which improve climb performance and further increase fuel efficiency. The maximum ramp weight and maximum takeoff weight of the C90GTx have been increased by 385 pounds to 10,545 and 10,485 pounds respectively. This increase in maximum weight provides the new C90GTx with a full-fuel payload capability of more than 750 pounds - almost double that of the C90GTi and ahead of any entry-level jet. The ability to carry more fuel with higher payloads increases the four passenger range by more than 200 nm.
 
The King Air 90 entered into service more than 45 years ago. The aircraft series has long been the entry point into larger aircraft, serving as the first step into cabin-class comfort and twin-turbine capability, safety and performance. The C90GTx marks the eighth major King Air upgrade the company has introduced since 2003.

FMI: www.hawkerbeechcraft.com