PlaneSense Places Order for Up To Five Nextant 400XTis

   Portsmouth, N.H.-based fractional provider PlaneSense placed an order on Friday for up to five Nextant 400XTis worth a potential $25.75 million at list prices. The firm order for two of the remanufactured Beechjets (with options for three more) marks PlaneSense’s first non-Pilatus aircraft buy, and its first order for pre-owned aircraft. PlaneSense currently operates PC-12 turboprops.

The deal will also more quickly propel the company into the jet market, with the first 400XTi to come on line in June and the second in the fourth quarter. PlaneSense did place a launch order for six Pilatus PC-24 light jets at EBACE last year, though it won’t take delivery of these jets until around mid-2017 after Pilatus receives type certification. (First flight of the PC-24 is still pending, more than seven months after the rollout ceremony.)

The 400XTi sale “represents the culmination of months of work between our two companies,” said Nextant president and CEO Sean McGeough. “We’re very excited to partner with a first class operation such as PlaneSense. We have worked closely with their management team over the last year and believe the 400XTi will be a perfect complement to their current fleet of Pilatus PC-12s.”

“Historically our program has only inducted new aircraft into our fleet,” said PlaneSense president and CEO George Antoniadis. “We have been very impressed with the Nextant 400XTi remanufacturing process and the resulting enhancements. Thus, we have decided to integrate this aircraft into our fleet.”