Beechcraft King Air 300

The Beechcraft King Air 300 combines the fuselage and cabin of the King Air 200 with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A engines of 1,050 hp each, the same engines later fitted to the King Air 350. The extra power gives a faster climb and better performance at altitude and in heat. 247 aircraft were built, 35 of them as the 300LW, before the longer King Air 350 took over.

Cabin: the King Air 200 cross-section

The King Air 300 cabin is 5.08 m long, 1.45 m high and 1.37 m wide, with an almost square cross-section. The usual layout has four club seats with tables, two or three further seats and a toilet at the rear, behind a partition or only a curtain. You cannot stand upright, there is no bed, and a drinks cabinet takes the place of a galley.

Interiors differ a lot after so many years: some aircraft have new seats and avionics, others the original fit. We ask for cabin photos and a confirmation of the toilet before booking. Internet depends on the aircraft, and the cabin is louder than in a jet.

Baggage, weight and pets

The compartment closes off the pressurised cabin of the King Air 300 at the rear and can be reached in flight. With five or six people there is room for a medium suitcase and a bag each.

• Skis and golf bags fit with a smaller group, if their length allows them through the cabin door
• In the 300LW the lower take-off weight leaves less margin for fuel and bags with a full cabin

Engines, runways and where the power pays off

The visible difference from the King Air 200 is the pitot-type engine intakes. The runway figure of about 1,200 m is the balanced field length at maximum weight; with a lighter load it is shorter. For the shortest strips, such as La Môle near Saint-Tropez with 1,071 m, a King Air 200 or a Pilatus PC-12 is the better choice.

Where the extra power makes a difference:

King Air 300 on European routes

At 6,350 kg the King Air 300 is above 5.7 t, so departures from the UK pay Air Passenger Duty at the higher rate for private aircraft; the 300LW stays below that weight and is exempt. In the Netherlands, aircraft of 5.7 t or more pay about EUR 30 per passenger.

• Tivat is open in daylight only and lies outside Schengen, as does Marrakesh, so take passports
• An operator from outside the EU, including the UK, cannot normally fly a passenger leg inside one EU country, such as Madrid - Menorca
• Nice and Geneva are slot-coordinated, so on summer weekends and winter Saturdays book early

Routes from European hubs

Thirty one-way King Air 300 legs from all thirteen hubs, from Zurich - Lugano at 164 km to Hamburg - Nice at 1,127 km, all without a fuel stop. Prices are for the whole aircraft with crew, without airport fees and passenger taxes; flight time is the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach.

Up to two hours: Alpine valleys and the islands

Two to three hours: non-stop, but watch the load

The calculator gives an indicative price for this class of turboprop on your own route, including smaller airfields close to your destination.

What a King Air 300 charter costs

The indicative rate is EUR 2,300 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel, the same level as for a King Air 200. On short legs the total is well above the rate multiplied by the time: Munich - Samedan (0:58 h) starts at EUR 7,000, as positioning and a minimum charge are built in.

Further away the hour becomes cheaper: Nice - Palma (1:37 h) costs from EUR 8,500, Zurich - Olbia (1:54 h) from EUR 9,000 and Hamburg - Nice (2:39 h) from EUR 11,000 one way. With a rare type, the positioning flight often decides the final price more than the rate.

The quote is for the whole aircraft; split between the passengers, Nice - Palma comes to:

How to pay less

• Write that a King Air 200 or King Air 350 is also fine: the nearest of the three usually gives the lowest total
• Keep the King Air 300 for Alpine airports and hot days, where its engines earn their place
• Return the same day on short legs such as Nice - Sion, saving a crew hotel
• Give a departure window of a few hours, so the operator can link your leg with another flight
• From the UK, a 300LW or a King Air 200 avoids Air Passenger Duty

Empty Legs: occasional at best

With so few King Air 300 aircraft in Europe, Empty Legs on this exact type are occasional. Across the King Air family they appear more often, mostly in summer between the Alps, the Riviera and the islands, at 30-60% below a full charter. These are examples, not guaranteed: the date and route are fixed, and the leg is cancelled if the aircraft gets a full charter.

Send your route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or see the Empty Legs page.

King Air 300, 350, 200 or PC-12

In practice the choice is between aircraft that are easier to get in Europe: the successor with a longer cabin, the original with the same cabin and the single-engine Pilatus.

What to include in your request

Give us the route, date, number of passengers and baggage, and say whether it has to be a King Air 300 or a similar aircraft will do; that speeds up the offer considerably. For Samedan or Innsbruck in summer, the exact date helps, as the take-off weight depends on the temperature.

We ask operators holding an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and always try to find an aircraft close to you, but each case depends on the operator's availability and contract.

Questions about the Beechcraft King Air 300

• • How much does a King Air 300 flight cost?

  • Vienna to Innsbruck (1:16 h) starts at EUR 7,500, Paris Le Bourget to Sion at EUR 8,000 and Geneva to Ibiza at EUR 10,000, for the whole aircraft one way according to the table. The rate starts at EUR 2,300 per flight hour; airport fees and passenger taxes are added.

• • What is in the price and what comes on top?

  • Aircraft, crew and fuel, with positioning and the minimum charge built in. Airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering, de-icing and crew hotels come on top, all listed in the quote.

• • How can I fly for less?

  • Accept a King Air 200 or King Air 350 as well, return the same day on short legs and give a time window. A nearby aircraft of a similar type usually saves the most.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the King Air 300?

  • Only occasionally, as few aircraft fly in Europe. Across the King Air family they come up more often, at 30-60% below a full charter as examples, with a fixed date and the risk of cancellation.

• • How does it differ from the King Air 200?

  • The cabin is the same. The engines are PT6A-60A of 1,050 hp instead of 850 hp, so the aircraft climbs faster and copes better with heat and altitude, and the 300 has a higher take-off weight.

• • What is a King Air 300LW?

  • A version with the take-off weight lowered to 5,670 kg, because rules and charges in several European countries were more favourable below that weight. 35 were built, and the lower weight also keeps it clear of UK Air Passenger Duty.

• • How many passengers fit, and is there a toilet?

  • Usually six to eight seats, with four to six people travelling comfortably with bags. The toilet is normally at the rear, but its type depends on the aircraft, so the operator confirms it before booking.

• • Can it fly to Courchevel?

  • No. The 537 m sloped altiport is too short for this type and needs a special qualification. For the French ski resorts the usual airport is Chambéry, and Sion serves Verbier and Crans-Montana.

• • Can we bring skis and the dog?

  • Skis fit with a smaller group if their length allows them through the cabin door. A dog flies in the cabin next to you once the operator agrees and its EU pet documents are in order.