Summary
- The King Air 250 operating costs based on 200–450 hours annually range from $650,186 to $1,385,846.
- Variable costs for 300 hours per year total $523,812, with a total operational cost of $586,466.
- With a $6 per gallon fuel cost, 450 hours flown by an owner-operated King Air 250 amounts to $1,385,846.
The Beechcraft King Air 250 is a popular twin-turboprop aircraft known for its performance and reliability. It was first introduced in 2010. It remains in high demand and is still in production. Some owners buy it for private use, but it is also used for air taxi and air ambulance services, as well as corporate and military use. Just how much does it cost to fly the King Air 250? Let’s take a look in closer detail.
Annual budget for 200 and 400 hours per year
Firstly, let’s look at operating costs based on 200 hours a year. The annual budget required, according to Liberty Jet, is approximately $650,186. The King Air 250 has a maximum speed of 355mph but with slower climb, cruise and descent, an average speed of 284 mph can be assumed. This equates to the average cost per mile at $11.45 over 200 hours.
For 400 hours flying per year, the annual budget would be around $974,186. In this case, the total fixed costs can be spread over more flight hours, which reduces the cost per mile to $8.58. These annual budgets do not factor in depreciation, any investments in the aircraft or interest or the initial cost of the aircraft.
Annual budget:
|
Cost |
Flying 200 hours/year |
Flying 400 hours/year |
|---|---|---|
|
Direct Operating Costs (DOC) |
||
|
Fuel Cost @ $7.23/gal Updated to Nat’l Avg Each Week |
$144,600 |
$289,200 |
|
Maintenance |
$93,400 |
$186,800 |
|
Engine Overhaul |
$61,000 |
$122,000 |
|
Misc Crew/Landing/Handling |
$20,000 |
$40,000 |
|
Miscellaneous Variable |
$5,000 |
$10,000 |
|
Total Direct Operating Costs (DOC) |
$324,000 |
$648,000 |
|
Fixed Costs |
||
|
Crew |
$197,897 |
$197,897 |
|
Crew Training |
$31,250 |
$31,250 |
|
Hangar |
$27,010 |
$27,010 |
|
Insurance |
$10,029 |
$10,029 |
|
Jet Management |
$30,000 |
$30,000 |
|
Miscellaneous Fixed |
$30,000 |
$30,000 |
|
Total Fixed Costs |
$326,186 |
$326,186 |
|
Total Annual Budget |
$650,186 |
$974,186 |
Annual budget based on 300 hours
Let’s take a look in more detail at 300 hours flying on the King Air 250. The annual fixed costs include: hangar space, hull and liability insurance and miscellaneous items. Crew salary and training are not considered in this equation. Variable hourly costs over the year include things like fuel ($867), maintenance ($499), engine reversal ($197) and miscellaneous ($183). The cost per hour for the variables works out at $1,746.04.
- Fixed costs for 300 hours: $62,654 per year
- Variable costs for 300 hours: $523,812 per year
- Total operational cost: $586,466 annually
Annual budget based on 450 hours plus charter
The average price of a pre-owned King Air 250 is $4,747,500. Based on 450 hours a year and a $6 per gallon fuel cost, an owner operating the King AIr 250 would need an annual budget of $1,385,846. This includes variable costs of $908,100 and fixed costs of $477,746. This can be further broken down to a cost of $3,079.66 per hour, based on 450 hours. Furthermore, with 200 additional hours of charter, the annual budget would be a reasonable $1,482,646, not much more than the annual budget for 450 hours. This breaks down to a cost per hour of $3,294.77.
BEECHCRAFT King Air 250
Flying 450 Hours per Year
Annual Owner Hours: 450
Annual Charter Hours: 0
Fuel Cost: $6.00
Total Fixed Cost: $477,746.00
Total Variable Cost: $908,100.00
Annual budget: $1,385,846.00
Total Hourly Cost: $3,079.66
Flying 450 Hours per Year + 200 Charter Hours
Annual Owner Hours: 450
Annual Charter Hours: 200
Fuel Cost: $6.00
Total Fixed Cost: $574,546.00
Total Variable Cost: $908,100.00
Annual Budget: $1,482,646.00
Total Hourly Cost: $3,294.77
An aircraft summary
Powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-52 engines, the King Air 250 offers a maximum speed of 357 mph and a range of 1,720 nautical miles. This is enough to travel from Houston to Seattle or London to Istanbul. It is typically configured with one and a half cabin zones and can seat up to seven or eight passengers, depending on configuration.
Specifications:
|
Variant |
King Air 250 |
|---|---|
|
Crew |
1–2 |
|
Capacity |
10 |
|
Length |
43 ft 10 in / 13.36 m |
|
Span |
57 ft 11 in / 17.65 m |
|
Height |
14 ft 10 in / 4.52 m |
|
Cabin L × W × H |
16’8″ × 4’6″ × 4’9″ 5.08 × 1.37 × 1.45 m |
|
MTOW |
12,500 lb / 5,670 kg |
|
OEW |
8,830 lb / 4,005 kg |
|
Useful load |
3,760 lb / 1,706 kg |
|
Engine type (2×) |
PWC PT6A-52 |
|
Power or thrust |
850 shp / 625 kW |
|
Maximum cruise |
310 kt / 574 km/h |
|
Ferry range |
1,720 nm / 3,185 km |
|
Takeoff |
2,111 ft / 643 m |
|
Ceiling |
35,000 ft / 10,668 m |
The Beechcraft King Air 250 is especially optimized for Hot & High conditions. Its new composite winglets and propellers deliver significant improvements in takeoff performance, climb and max speed. It has a maximum altitude of 35,000 feet and a cruise speed of 302 knots or 348 miles per hour. The King Air 250 offers passengers several improvements over the original Super King Air 200.
The King Air 250 features Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suited for single-pilot operations. It also has a Ram Air Recovery system. The King Air 250 is a solid choice for business travel, offering a comfortable cabin, good range and efficient turboprop engines. In short, the King Air 250 is an extremely reliable twin-engined turboprop with impressive transcontinental range, speed, and interior comfort. Used models range from $4.2 million to $6.6 million and new models cost around $7.7 million.