Nextant G90XT certification "imminent"

Nextant Aerospace has completed certification testing of its G90XT twin-engined turboprop, and says US approval for the remanufactured Beechcraft King Air C90 is “imminent”.

The programme was launched by Nextant two years ago in partnership with engine manufacturer GE Aviation, with the G90XT having made its first flight in January 2015. The upgraded aircraft features GE H75-100 turboprops – the first twin-engined application for the powerplant, plus a Garmin G1000 flightdeck and a redesigned interior and cockpit.

“Once certification is issued, we will release the G90XT's final performance data," says Jay Heublein, Nextant’s executive vice-president. The company will also start converting customer deposits into non-refundable down payments, he adds. Deliveries are scheduled to begin next year.

Nextant is now readying a G90XT for a global demonstration tour, designed to beef-up sales of the $2.8 million aircraft and promote the $2.2 million upgrade to current C90 owners.

Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer database records a global in-service inventory of over 1,800 of the out-of-production type.

Cleveland, Ohio-based Nextant is, meanwhile, continuing to explore new platforms to add to its two-product family, which also includes the 400XTi. The light business jet – a remanufactured version of the Hawker 400-series – entered service in 2013, and more than 60 have been delivered to date.

Heublein says Nextant is “actively looking” at models in the super-midsize, large-cabin and long-range sectors. These include the Dassault Falcon 50/2000/900 families and the Bombardier Challenger 600 series, all of which have extensive global inventories.