Beechcraft is claiming a 53% market share of the Australian business turbo-prop market, which their own research shows is one of the largest business turbo-prop markets outside of North America, with a total of 285 aircraft.
The US manufacturer, freshly out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, attributes the success to deliveries of the King Air range, which have increased by more than half over the past 10 years
"Due to its size and geography, air travel is particularly important for businesses in Australia,” said Ted Farid,VP Beechcraft Asia-Pacific Sales.
“This is reflected in the size of the turbo-prop fleet in Australia. Turbo-props such as the King Air 350i and King Air 350ER provide the perfect solution as they combine the range needed to make business air travel in Australia convenient with the performance and efficiency that make it accessible and viable.”
More than half of Beechcraft’s turbo-prop deliveries to Australia over the past decade have been for special mission operations. Of the 36 special missions-capable King Airs delivered between 2001 and 2011, 27 aircraft were to air ambulance operators, with the remaining nine delivered for training, flight inspection, airway calibration and utility transport missions.
“Special missions are an important segment of our fleet in Australia, as well as across Asia Pacific as a whole,” said Dan Keady, Senior VP, Beechcraft Special Missions. “A growing number of companies and government agencies are realizing the benefits of special missions capabilities such as air ambulance, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) and flight training, and we expect to receive further interest from customers looking to reduce costs without sacrificing quality or performance.”
In February 2012, Beechcraft and its local distributor, Hawker Pacific, announced the delivery of a fleet of five King Air turboprops to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Eastern Division in Australia. The three King Air B200Cs are utilized extensively throughout Australia by the RFDS for aeromedical primary response and inter-hospital transfers, while the two King Air 350C are the first aircraft in the region that are fully dedicated to air ambulance missions.
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Hawker Pacific today renewed its dealership agreement with Beechcraft. The new contract was signed this morning at Avalon.
“This renewal is an absolute win-win for all parties," said Tony Jones, Hawker Pacific Senior VP, Aircraft Sales Group. "Hawker Pacific maintains its representation of one of the finest aircraft manufacturers in the world, while Beechcraft continues its partnership with the region’s most renowned aircraft sales, services and product support company with an unmatched record in infrastructure and sales clout. Importantly, it’s also a winning combination for owners and future owners of the company’s products.”