King Air 200
The Beechcraft King Air 200 is a pressurized twin-engine turboprop seating seven passengers at 289 knots with a range of 1,580 nautical miles. Its 4.5-foot-wide, 4.8-foot-tall cabin is narrower than most comparable turboprops, but twin-engine certification and short-field capability keep the type in active use across a wide range of Part 135 applications.
Medical transport dominates the US fleet profile. Of 163 aircraft on Part 135 certificates across 102 separate operators, at least seven of the ten largest by fleet size are air medical services: EagleMed (5 aircraft), Sanford Medical Center (4), PHI Health (4), REACH Air Medical (3), IHC Health Services (3), Physicians Air Transport (3), and Bismarck Air Medical (3). The combination of twin-engine certification, 1,580nm range, and the ability to land at rural strips drives widespread adoption in air ambulance. No single company holds more than six aircraft, making the King Air 200 one of the most distributed fleets in US charter.
Charter rates run $1,800 to $2,000 per hour. Used B200s average around $2.2 million, making them among the most affordable pressurized twin turboprops available. That acquisition cost draws operator-owners who need twin-engine reliability without large-jet operating budgets.
Specs at a glance
Interior & cabin
| Passengers | 7 |
| Cabin length | 16.7 ft |
| Cabin width | 4.5 ft |
| Cabin height | 4.8 ft |
| Baggage volume | 55 cu ft |
| Lavatory | Belted, curtained |
| Galley | No |
| Wi-Fi | Rare |
| Cabin floor | Drop aisle |
At 4.8 ft of cabin height, the King Air 200 is a sit-down jet. Expect to duck moving between seats. The lavatory is belted with a curtain — not a full door.
Operator floor plans vary. Some King Air 200 cabins are configured with a divan that drops the headcount by one or two seats; confirm the layout with the operator before booking.
Range & performance
| Range | 1,580 nm |
| Max cruise | 289 ktas |
| Typical cruise | ~246 ktas |
| Service ceiling | 31,000 ft |
With 1,580 nm of range, the King Air 200 is built for short-to-mid US missions. Plan a fuel stop for anything past three hours of cruise.
Distances are real great-circle nautical miles from the selected hub. Angular positions are spaced for readability, not actual bearings. Range envelope assumes no wind and a full passenger load.
Charter cost per hour
Charter the King Air 200 at roughly $2,000–$2,500 per flight hour, depending on how far ahead you book. Turboprop jets like this carry 6–9 passengers; the per-seat math improves sharply as you fill the cabin.
Rates are flight-hour pricing. Total cost depends on round-trip vs. one-way, positioning, fuel surcharges, and taxes (~15% on top of base). Run the math on your trip →
Safety Record
History
Beechcraft flew the King Air 200 prototype on October 27, 1972, and civil deliveries began in February 1974. The original Model 200 used paired Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-41 engines and offered a step up from the earlier King Air 100 in speed and pressurization. Beechcraft built 702 original Model 200 airframes before transitioning to the B200 in 1981, which carried avionics updates and system refinements. Subsequent variants, including the B200C with a rear cargo door and the B200GT with winglets and uprated PT6A-52 engines, continued the line through multiple decades. By the early 2020s, more than 1,800 King Air 200 series aircraft had been delivered.
Ideal For
- Air ambulance and medical transport missions where twin-engine certification, 1,580nm range, and short-field access are all required
- Three to seven passengers on regional routes: Bismarck to Minneapolis (330nm), Denver to Albuquerque (290nm), or Atlanta to Nashville (210nm)
- Cargo and combination missions using the B200C variant, which has a large rear cargo door for oversized freight
- Charter operations where twin-engine reliability is expected and the budget does not support midsize jet operating costs
- Owner-operators in thinner markets who need affordable twin turboprop access with a parts and maintenance ecosystem spread across more than 100 active US operators
- Remote and mountain area operations where twin-engine redundancy provides a safety margin over single-engine alternatives
King Air 200 vs Turboprop Average
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to charter a King Air 200?
Charter rates run $1,800 to $2,000 per hour. A two-hour route from Denver to Albuquerque and back typically totals $4,500 to $5,500 before fuel and positioning fees.
Why do so many air medical companies operate the King Air 200?
Twin-engine certification, 1,580nm range, and ability to operate from short rural strips make the King Air 200 practical for repositioning critical patients. The cabin fits a stretcher plus medical attendant. At least seven of the ten largest US Part 135 operators of the type, including EagleMed, PHI Health, and Sanford Medical Center, run it primarily for air medical services.
How does the King Air 200 compare to the PC-12 NGX?
The PC-12 NGX is a single-engine design with longer range (1,803nm vs 1,580nm), higher cruise speed (290 vs 289 ktas), a wider cabin (5.0ft vs 4.5ft), and Wi-Fi standard. The King Air 200 provides twin-engine redundancy, which some operators and insurers require for overwater or mountainous terrain flights. Used B200s average around $2.2 million versus $3 million or more for a used PC-12 NG, so acquisition cost can favor the King Air.
What is the difference between the King Air 200 and King Air B200?
The original Model 200 ran from 1974 to 1981 with 702 aircraft. The B200, introduced in 1981, upgraded avionics and systems. Later variants include the B200C (rear cargo door) and B200GT (winglets, PT6A-52 engines). For charter purposes, the cabin dimensions and performance are similar across all King Air 200 series aircraft; operators and passengers typically don't distinguish between variants.
Is a used King Air 200 a practical charter acquisition?
Yes, for operators comfortable with older avionics. Used B200s average around $2.2 million, among the lowest entry points for any pressurized twin turboprop. The maintenance ecosystem is wide: 163 aircraft across 102 Part 135 operators keeps parts supply and qualified shops active across the country.
King Air 200s for Charter (163) Page 1 of 4
Where King Air 200s actually fly
ADS-B-tracked flights from the trailing 90 days. Numbers cover aircraft on our charter database; private corporate fleets and operators using PIA registration are not in this count. Methodology →
Top routes
Busiest origins
| Minneapolis (KFCM) | 239 |
| Sioux Falls (KFSD) | 221 |
| Fargo (KFAR) | 213 |
| Salt Lake City (KSLC) | 187 |
| Saint Paul (KSTP) | 147 |
| Redding (KRDD) | 127 |
| Boise (KBOI) | 126 |
| Atlanta (KPDK) | 122 |
| Atlanta (KFTY) | 121 |
| Savannah (KSAV) | 115 |
Most active operators
| Operator | Aircraft | Flights |
|---|---|---|
| EagleMed, LLC | 5 | 711 |
| Aviation Charter Inc | 5 | 658 |
| Physicians Air Transport LLC | 3 | 387 |
| IHC Health Services, Inc. | 3 | 350 |
| SANFORD MEDICAL CENTER | 4 | 334 |
| PHI Health,LLC | 4 | 308 |
| REACH Air Medical Services, LLC. | 3 | 284 |
| Atlanta Air Charter, Inc. | 3 | 280 |
| TURBO AIR CHARTER, LLC | 3 | 258 |
| Paragon Aviation Logistics, INC. | 2 | 252 |
Comparable aircraft
Same category, similar mission profile. The framing below summarizes how each one differs from the King Air 200 on the dimensions that matter most.