US fractional ownership provider PlaneSense has acquired up to five Nextant 400XTis, which will mark its first foray into the business jet and multi-engine market when the first two aircraft are handed over in the second and fourth quarter of 2015.
At 20 years old, PlaneSense is one of the oldest fractional ownership providers in the USA and the largest operator of the Pilatus PC-12 in the world, with 32 of the single-engined turboprops in its single-model fleet. “Historically we have acquired 52 PC-12s, but we have cycled older models out of the fleet,” says PlaneSense founder and chief executive George Antoniadis. “The aircraft remained popular even during the economic downturn. It’s a strong part of our identity.”
PlaneSense illustrated its faith in the Pilatus product line in May 2013 with a launch order for six PC-24 light business jets. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2017. “We would have bought more if we could,” says Antoniadis.
Pilatus has notched up 80 orders for its $9 million, clean-sheet twinjet – equivalent to the first three years of production. “We intend to buy more PC-24s when the orderbook is opened again in 2020,” Antoniadis says.
In the meantime the 400XTi – a remanufactured and re-engined Beechjet/Hawker 400A/XP – will provide a transition between the PC-12 and the PC-24. “The aircraft will give our existing customers more range and higher speed [than the PC-12] and open up a market to new clients,” Antonadis says.
The remanufactured jets will probably be used by PlaneSense as core aircraft rather than be split into fractions and sold to its customers. “They could be used as an upgrade path, whereby PC-12 owners who want to travel longer distances in the XTi trade in 1.8h for an hour in the light jet, for example, ” Antoniadis says.
Meanwhile Nextant has delivered 49 XTs/XTis since the first example of the Williams International FJ44-3AP-powered aircraft entered service in 2011. The 50thmodel is scheduled for delivery to a private Saudi Arabian owner later this month.
Source: Flight International
