The sale of Beechcraft’s legacy jet assets – the type certificates, tooling and intellectual property for the Hawker 4000 and Premier types – is “dangerously close to being finished”, CEO Bill Boisture said at the show.
The proposed divestment – part of the restructuring that saw the new Beechcraft emerge from Chapter 11 earlier this year – also includes the company’s plant three composite facility in Wichita.
“We have a [proposed] buyer in whom we have a great deal of confidence and we expect to close the deal this year,” he adds.
Billypix
However, speaking at an event at the static display yesterday, Boisture was more guarded about reports that the main Beechcraft business – which now includes the King Air, the military T-6 trainer, a piston range and responsibility for the fleet of Hawker 125 and 400 variants – is up for grabs. “We don’t comment on rumours of the whole of Beechcraft being for sale,” he says.
Boisture is bullish about the reborn company’s health and prospects, noting that the flagship King Air range is selling “better
than ever”.
The company also reported at the show 48 total aircraft deliveries for the third quarter of 2013, comprised of 38 commercial aircraft and 10 military trainer airplanes. Through the first nine months of the year, the company has delivered 163 Beechcraft airplanes as compared to 111 during the same period of 2012.
“Beechcraft’s strong third quarter continues the positive momentum we have experienced throughout the year,” says Boisture.
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Source: Flight Daily News
