PC-12
The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop seating eight passengers in a 16.9-foot cabin, 5.0 feet wide and 4.8 feet tall, powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B engine de-rated to 1,200 shp. Range is 1,845 nautical miles at 285 knots with a 30,000-foot service ceiling. The large rear cargo door (52 inches wide by 51 inches tall) opens the entire aft cabin for freight, medical stretcher loads, or mixed passenger-cargo configurations unavailable on pressurized turboprop competitors. Against turboprop category averages, the PC-12 is faster (285 vs 260 ktas avg), longer-ranged (1,845 vs 1,372nm avg), and carries a wider cabin (5.0ft vs 4.9ft avg) despite using a single engine.
Of the 97 US Part 135 aircraft across 46 operators, the majority are not in on-demand charter. Quest Diagnostics Inc operates 14 aircraft for medical specimen transport: time-sensitive diagnostic samples flown overnight on fixed routes between collection and processing sites. Boutique Air (8 aircraft) and Southern Airways Express (3) operate scheduled commuter passenger service at small regional airports. Tradewind Aviation (5) runs scheduled inter-island service in the Caribbean. Only two active empty legs are typically listed at any time, reflecting a fleet largely locked into fixed-route operations.
Charter rates for the PC-12 run approximately $1,800 to $2,200 per hour. Used examples trade from $800,000 to $3 million depending on model year and equipment. The PC-12 NG (2008) and PC-12 NGX (2020) are the current production generations; the original PT6A-67B-powered PC-12 covered here remained in production from 1994 to approximately 2008.
Specs at a glance
Interior & cabin
| Passengers | 8 |
| Cabin length | 16.9 ft |
| Cabin width | 5.0 ft |
| Cabin height | 4.8 ft |
| Baggage volume | 40 cu ft |
| Lavatory | Belted, curtained |
| Galley | No |
| Wi-Fi | Available on most aircraft |
| Cabin floor | Drop aisle |
At 4.8 ft of cabin height, the PC-12 is a sit-down jet. Expect to duck moving between seats. The lavatory is belted with a curtain — not a full door. Connectivity varies by tail — most operators in this fleet have at least one Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft, but confirm before booking if you need to work in the air.
Operator floor plans vary. Some PC-12 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 | 1,845 nm |
| Max cruise | 285 ktas |
| Typical cruise | ~242 ktas |
| Service ceiling | 30,000 ft |
1,845 nm covers most US domestic missions. Coast-to-coast with one stop, transcontinental city pairs east of the Rockies non-stop.
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 PC-12 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
Pilatus began the PC-12 development program in the late 1980s to produce a pressurized single-engine turboprop large enough for passenger, cargo, and medevac roles. The first prototype was completed on May 1, 1991 and flew for the first time on May 31, 1991. After a wingspan redesign delayed certification, the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation issued the type certificate on March 30, 1994; FAA approval followed on July 15, 1994. Customer deliveries began in September 1994.
The PC-12 accumulated customers across medical transport, air charter, regional commuter, and cargo sectors through the late 1990s and 2000s. The 1,000th PC-12 was delivered in June 2010. Pilatus introduced the PC-12 NG in 2008 with Pro Line 21 avionics and the PT6A-67P engine, and the PC-12 NGX in 2020 with the FADEC-equipped PT6E-67XP and further interior upgrades. The 2,000th PC-12 across all variants was delivered on May 12, 2023.
Ideal For
- Medical specimen and diagnostic transport on overnight fixed routes where the rear cargo door and pressurized cabin suit time-sensitive payload
- Scheduled commuter passenger service at airports too small for regional jets: Boutique Air and Southern Airways Express routes to thin-market communities
- Six to eight passengers on routes where a pressurized single-engine turboprop is acceptable: coastal hops, island routes, short regional sectors under 1,000nm
- Medevac and medical evacuation where the flat cargo floor accommodates a stretcher and the range covers most continental US sectors nonstop
- Owner-operators who need a single aircraft that handles passengers, freight, and medical missions without changing airframes
PC-12 vs Turboprop Average
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the PC-12 differ from the PC-12 NG and PC-12 NGX?
The original PC-12 uses a PT6A-67B engine de-rated to 1,200 shp and earlier avionics. The PC-12 NG (2008) updated to the PT6A-67P engine and Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics. The PC-12 NGX (2020) added the PT6E-67XP with full-authority digital engine control, a low-speed prop mode for noise reduction, and a refined interior with nine-seat capacity. Performance figures across all three variants are similar; the NGX carries the most current technology.
Why does the PC-12 have so few empty legs despite a large fleet?
Quest Diagnostics alone operates 14 of the 97 Part 135 PC-12s for specimen transport on fixed overnight routes. Boutique Air and Southern Airways Express operate scheduled commuter service. Tradewind Aviation runs Caribbean inter-island schedules. These fleet deployments fill aircraft on regular routes rather than ad hoc charter, leaving very few aircraft available for open empty leg markets.
Is the PC-12 a safe single-engine aircraft for passenger charter?
The PT6A engine has a long reliability record in single-engine operations across demanding environments. The PC-12 is certified for flight into known icing and carries supplemental oxygen as standard. The type has accumulated ten million flight hours across the global fleet as of May 2023. Single-engine operation is approved for the missions the PC-12 flies.
How does the PC-12 compare to the King Air 350 for charter?
The King Air 350 is twin-engine with higher cruise speed (312 vs 285 ktas) and a longer cabin (19.2ft vs 16.9ft). The PC-12 has a wider single cargo door and similar range. For passenger charter with seven to nine people, the King Air 350 is faster and more spacious; the PC-12 suits cargo-and-passenger mixed missions and operators who need the large rear door.
What is the rear cargo door configuration?
The PC-12's aft cargo door is 52 inches wide by 51 inches tall and opens the full rear cabin width. It accepts standard cargo containers, stretcher loads, and oversized freight that other turboprops with cabin doors cannot accommodate. This door is standard on all PC-12 variants and is a primary reason the type dominates medical specimen transport and mixed-mission operations.
PC-12s for Charter (97) Page 1 of 2
Where PC-12s 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
| Lawrenceville (KLZU) | 420 |
| Manassas (KHEF) | 290 |
| Reading (KRDG) | 286 |
| Pittsburgh (KAGC) | 223 |
| Dallas (KDAL) | 179 |
| Salt Lake City (KSLC) | 178 |
| Greensboro (KGSO) | 175 |
| Cincinnati (KLUK) | 174 |
| New Century (KIXD) | 171 |
| Memphis (KMEM) | 138 |
Most active operators
| Operator | Aircraft | Flights |
|---|---|---|
| QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INC | 14 | 4,240 |
| Sterling Air Service LLC | 2 | 353 |
| Priority Air Charter LLC | 2 | 324 |
| GFK Flight Support Inc. | 5 | 312 |
| Boutique Air, Inc. | 5 | 289 |
| SkyShare, LLC | 3 | 281 |
| TRYP Air Charter LLC | 3 | 273 |
| Aero Charter and Transport, Inc. | 2 | 234 |
| STEELMAN AVIATION INC | 2 | 230 |
| Tradewind Aviation, LLC | 4 | 212 |
Comparable aircraft
Same category, similar mission profile. The framing below summarizes how each one differs from the PC-12 on the dimensions that matter most.