The King Air Market - G A Buyer Article

We all want to predict the market…..let’s face it, if we could do that, we would be flying around in Gulfstreams of our own. But we can’t, so we need to look for clues. In general the aviation market follows other trends but lags behind.

When the world’s finances fell apart everyone tried to be more “prudent” and this led to a big downturn in corporate aviation. Conspicuous consumption was out, bling was dialled down and the company jet was, often, sold off. As things improved people began to look at different ways of spending their money; Sony was credited with the catchphrase “functional luxury” to describe a brand that delivers quality and reliability. Tech is important and today’s luxuries must be useful as well. Time magazine posed the question, “The hottest new luxury item? One that saves you time, money or both”.

On that note, may I introduce you to the Beech KingAir 200? “Who needs an introduction?”, I can hear you say, “Kingairs have been around forever”. But that very fact highlights the quality and reliability of the brand and gives newcomers a sense of security. Beech has always been a premium brand in the lighter end of the aviation market and that still holds good in 2015.

At Aerodynamics, we are seeing a high volume of sales enquiries from first time turboprop buyers and we think it’s down to the search for functional luxury. These buyers are not impulse purchasers; they want something that fulfils their needs, is going to look good, but not flashy, and gives them maximum usability and versatility for their money. We can demonstrate that the costs of buying, and running, a Kingair offer significant savings against a jet. With new requirements coming from EASA for all private jet operators the advantages of the Kingair can only multiply in the next few years.

As long time operators of Kingairs, the staff at Aerodynamics are well placed to offer advice on the practical aspects of ownership and use; things that may not be obvious from the technical specs. “Can I have a meeting/ entertain clients in flight?” “ Is there ample baggage room?” “Is the cabin quiet enough that I can rest at the end of a long day?” “ My day is always rushed, are there sufficient facilities to provide inflight catering?”

The styles of trim and levels of equipment available in the Kingair range make it accessible to a wide range of buyers and recently we are seeing that a quality aircraft, well presented and  with good maintenance history is definitely moving.

For answers to any Kingair questions you might have please call us or visit our Facebook page.

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