Nextant G90XT

The Nextant G90XT is a Beechcraft King Air C90 rebuilt in depth by Nextant Aerospace. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engines make way for GE H75-100 turboprops, each run by a single lever, the cockpit gets a Garmin G1000 and the cabin a new interior, air conditioning and digital pressure control. The fuselage and cabin dimensions stay those of the King Air 90.

King Air dimensions, new interior

The G90XT cabin is about 3.84 m long, 1.37 m wide and 1.45 m high, as in the King Air C90. Nextant replaced the seats and the whole interior, and according to the manufacturer the new air conditioning with two evaporators cools 300 % more than the original, which helps after a summer wait on a hot apron.

Nextant offered three basic layouts:

• Executive: three large seats with the most legroom, best for two or three people on a business trip
• Five passengers: a denser layout for a small group on short legs with limited baggage
• Special missions and air ambulance: not used for ordinary passenger charter

Baggage, skis and pets

As in the King Air C90, the G90XT carries bags at the back of the pressurised cabin, so they stay warm and you can reach them during the flight.

• Three or four people: medium suitcases and soft bags
• Five people: small bags only, and the range drops
• Skis and golf bags: give their number and length, as the layout decides whether they fit

Engines, speed and night flights

The GE H75-100 descends from the Czech Walter engines and is overhauled at the former Walter plant in the Czech Republic. According to Nextant it burns about 10 % less fuel than the PT6A in the King Air C90GT, and the G90XT is up to 17 kt faster and climbs without intermediate levels to above 7,600 m. The single-lever system watches power, propeller speed and temperature limits.

Operator rules and taxes in Europe

• Operator: only companies holding an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) may fly you, and with so few G90XTs the nearest one may be in another country.
• Domestic legs: an operator from outside the EU, including the UK, cannot normally fly a passenger leg inside one EU country, and London - Edinburgh needs a UK operator.
• Taxes by weight: at 4,581 kg the G90XT is exempt from UK Air Passenger Duty and from the Dutch passenger tax, as both start at 5.7 t.

Routes from European hubs

Thirty one-way legs from all thirteen hubs, from Nice - Calvi at 179 km to Milan Linate - Palma at 846 km, all non-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: the turboprop's home ground

Two to four hours: possible, but compare with a jet

• Around one hour, as on Nice - Calvi or London Farnborough - Jersey, a jet saves only a few minutes and the G90XT's hourly rate is lower.
• Zurich - Split (2:06 h), London Farnborough - Geneva (2:07 h) and Milan Linate - Palma (2:19 h) are non-stop with four people, but a light jet is about 40 minutes quicker.
• The Canary Islands and most of Greece from Western Europe need a fuel stop or a faster aircraft.

The calculator gives an indicative price for the G90XT and other aircraft classes on your route, including smaller airfields.

Nextant G90XT charter prices

The indicative rate starts at EUR 2,000 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel. A short leg costs well above the rate times the flight time: Nice - Calvi takes 0:53 h and starts at EUR 6,000, because the operator charges a minimum per flight and the positioning flights between its base and your airports.

Further on, the fixed part weighs less. Geneva - Saint-Tropez (1:14 h) starts at EUR 6,500, Vienna - Dubrovnik (1:51 h) at EUR 7,500 and Milan Linate - Palma (2:19 h) at EUR 8,500. You pay for the G90XT as a whole, not per seat.

The price covers the whole aircraft; per person, Geneva - Saint-Tropez comes to:

How to pay less

Empty Legs: very rare

So few G90XTs fly in Europe that an Empty Leg on this exact type is a matter of luck. When one appears, it can be 30-60% cheaper than a normal charter, but these are examples: the date and route are fixed, and the operator may cancel the leg if the aircraft is booked in full.

With flexible dates, send the route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or use the Empty Legs page, and we include King Airs of the G90XT's size in the search.

G90XT, King Air or PC-12

The usual comparison is with the King Air it was built from, a larger King Air and the single-engine Pilatus.

What we need for a quote

Send the route, date and departure time, the number of people and the baggage, with skis, golf bags or pets mentioned.

Questions about the Nextant G90XT

• • How much does a G90XT flight cost?

  • According to the table, Nice to Olbia starts at EUR 6,500, Vienna to Dubrovnik at EUR 7,500 and London Farnborough to Geneva at EUR 8,000 for the whole aircraft one way. The hourly rate starts at EUR 2,000; airport fees and passenger taxes come on top.

• • What is included in the price?

  • The aircraft, crew and fuel. Airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering, de-icing, positioning and the pilot's hotel on a later return are listed separately in the quote.

• • How can I fly more cheaply?

  • Accept a King Air 90 of the same size based closer to you, return the same day and keep the departure time flexible. On a short leg positioning often decides more than the hourly rate.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the G90XT?

  • Very rarely, as only a few aircraft fly in Europe. If one matches your route, it can be 30-60% cheaper, with a fixed date and the risk of cancellation.

• • How is it different from a normal King Air 90?

  • GE H75-100 engines instead of PT6A, one lever per engine, Garmin G1000, digital pressure control, stronger air conditioning and a new interior. According to Nextant it is slightly faster and uses less fuel. The cabin dimensions are the same.

• • How many people can fly?

  • Usually three to five, depending on the layout. Nextant quotes the range for one pilot and three passengers, and every extra passenger shortens the non-stop distance by about 185 km.

• • Is there a toilet on board?

  • It depends on the aircraft, so we confirm it with the operator before booking. If the free G90XT has none, we suggest a King Air C90GTx, which has an enclosed toilet as standard.

• • Can it land at Saint-Tropez?

  • Yes, La Môle with its 1,071 m runway takes light turboprops, within the airfield's seasonal limits. Paris Le Bourget to Saint-Tropez takes 2:02 h and starts at EUR 8,000 according to the table.

• • Can we bring the dog?

  • Usually yes, in the cabin next to you, once the operator has approved it before booking, with a microchip, a rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport.