Business aircraft broker Aerocor today released its latest Beechcraft Premier I/IA fleet update report, which covers avionics and engine program status, aircraft utilization patterns, factory options, relevant upgrades, and operator feedback. The report uses recent survey data collected from the Premier I/IA owner group and builds upon the company's first fleet update for the twinjet, which has a composite fuselage and aluminum wings.
“Fleet data is a cornerstone for both buyers and sellers in the aviation industry,” said Aerocor co-founder and president Gavin Woodman. “It provides a robust foundation for making well-informed decisions, equipping operators and market participants with the insights to evaluate relevant Premier upgrades and aircraft values.”
According to Woodman, this initiative reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to empower Premier owners with relevant and timely information. “Building upon the success of [our] Premier buyer's guide, new owner’s guide, and Premier market updates, this fleet update is just one piece of our exclusive Premier asset library that provides invaluable data to the Premier community,” he added.
The report states that 269 Premiers (116 Premier I and 153 IA models) of the 297 manufactured are still in service. The active fleet shrunk by four aircraft during the last two years as a result of aircraft being parted out, it added. Eleven Premier IAs and nine Premier Is (one of which is a parts airplane) are currently on the preowned market, Aerocor told AIN.
Meanwhile, the share of aircraft in North America grew by 4 percent year-over-year as the popularity of the twinjet grew and buyers looked abroad for inventory, Aerocor said. Seventy-seven percent of Premiers are in North America, 4 percent are in South America (mostly Brazil), 14 percent are in Europe, 2 percent are in Africa/Middle East, and 3 percent are in Asia, according to the report.
Survey data showed that owners like the Premier’s speed, cabin size, and affordability, but expressed disappointment with range and parts availability at Textron Aviation, which purchased Beechcraft in 2014. However, owners told Aerocor that they were almost always able to find alternative solutions to parts needs. “A small number of owners have resorted to purchasing two Premiers so that they are never left stranded due to parts delays or so that they can strip parts from their secondary aircraft as needed,” Aerocor added.