Initial Hawker 4000 Customers Might Face Retrofits

Operators that take delivery of Hawker 4000s during the exemption period face a mandatory retrofit if any design changes are necessary. If design changes are required to show compliance with the ignition rule, they must be incorporated on aircraft delivered before Sept. 1, 2008, or they cannot operate after Sept. 1, 2009. Likewise, if modifications are necessary to comply with the hydraulic rule, they must be made on airplanes delivered before June 1 next year or they cannot be operated after June 1, 2008. “The granting of these two exemptions will allow us to proceed with the final details in obtaining the type certificate for the Hawker 4000,” a company spokesman told AIN. “The new requirements have been built into our plan and we expect no further delays. Customer deliveries are expected to begin in the fourth quarter. Once we have completed the appropriate analysis and testing related to the changes in FAA regulations, we will incorporate the required modifications, as needed, into future deliveries of the aircraft.”