A complete breakdown of King Air ownership costs including acquisition, hourly operating expenses, annual budgets, and what to expect at 200 flight hours per year.
The Beechcraft King Air is one of the most popular turboprop aircraft in history, with over 7,600 delivered since the line debuted in the 1960s. But what does it actually cost to own and operate one?
Pre-owned King Air prices vary widely depending on the model and year. A King Air 90 from the 1980s can be found for under $1 million, while a late-model King Air 350i can command $5–8 million. The sweet spot for many buyers is a well-maintained King Air 200 or B200 in the $1.5–3 million range.
At roughly $1,424 per hour, the King Air family sits in the upper range of turboprop operating costs. This includes fuel burn (typically 80–100 gallons per hour of Jet-A), scheduled maintenance reserves, engine reserves, and insurance amortization.
For comparison, a Pilatus PC-12 operates at around $750 per hour, while a TBM runs about $1,214 per hour. The King Air's twin-engine configuration adds cost but also adds redundancy.
Flying 200 hours per year — a typical owner-flown schedule — puts your annual operating budget at approximately $284,800. Add in hangar fees ($1,500–4,000/month depending on location), insurance ($15,000–30,000/year), and annual inspection costs, and a realistic all-in annual budget is $350,000–$400,000.
The King Air offers something few turboprops can match: a pressurized cabin seating up to eight passengers with a range of 1,806 nautical miles. It can operate from short and unimproved strips, making it one of the most versatile aircraft in its class. The twin-engine design provides safety margins that single-engine turboprops cannot.
For owners flying 150–300 hours per year who need pressurized, twin-engine reliability with access to smaller airports, the King Air is hard to beat. The extensive parts network and maintenance infrastructure built up over decades of production keep support costs manageable.
If you fly fewer than 100 hours per year, a single-engine turboprop like the PC-12 or Piper M600 may be more cost-effective. If you need more speed and range, stepping up to an entry-level jet might make sense.
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