Hawker Beechcraft is showcasing its trio of Beechcraft King Air turboprops at the show where it is seeking to boost sales in the Middle East of its ubiquitous twin-engined family.
HBC already boasts the largest inventory of business turbine aircraft in the Middle East, with more than 140 aircraft. The King Air family continues to lead the turboprop category with more than 70% of market share in the region, says the airframer. Its current line-up boasts the top-of the-range 350i, the 250 and C90GTx.
"We are marketing the King Airs at the special missions and executive and leisure markets markets in the Middle East," says Scott Plumb, HBC's vice-president of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa. "The commercial sector is continuing to suffer globally. The longer we remain in this recession [the more] this market will continue to decline; however, demand for special missions aircraft will continue to improve," he adds.
The US airframer recently received an undisclosed order from a Middle Eastern customer for more than ten special-mission King Air 350s and is in talks with other customers in the region for missionised versions of the aircraft. "The highly versatile King Air is suited for a host of operations within this region, notably for border control, offshore partol and air ambulance missions," says Plumb.
Source: Flight Daily News
