Hawker Beechcraft Appoints Absolute Aviation as Exclusive Beechcraft Distributor in Sub-Saharan Africa

WICHITA, Kan. (April 26, 2011) – As part of its growing focus on Africa, Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) today announced that it has appointed Neil Howard and Absolute Aviation as an exclusive Beechcraft distributor for Sub-Saharan Africa. HBC has identified the South African commercial environment as offering some of the best growth prospects of any country in the world.

“Africa represents a huge opportunity for us as travel around the continent is becoming increasingly important,” said Sean McGeough, HBC president, Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We have already seen strong interest in our aircraft from a number of organizations, including multi-nationals based there.The addition of Absolute Aviation to our network provides further impetus to strong Beechcraft sales in the region.”

HBC’s King Air models are particularly popular in Africa as a result of their durability, reliability, fuel-efficiency and the ability to operate almost anywhere. The King Air 250 has a maximum range of 1,610 nautical miles and can take off in only 2,111 feet from a sea level airport, making it an ideal choice of transportation for corporate executives travelling throughout Africa.

“As the country and the continent develop, demand for business aircraft will grow dramatically to provide access to remote parts of the region, cover vast distances and also help counter the limitations of the transportation infrastructure, which is underdeveloped compared to other parts of the world,” McGeough said. “Travelling by business aircraft is therefore not only often the quickest way to travel, but sometimes the only option.”

Neil Howard and his team of professionals at Absolute Aviation have considerable experience in aircraft sales, maintenance and operations. Located at the Lanseria International Airport, Absolute Aviation offers a unique aviation consulting service to companies or individuals wishing to acquire and operate an aircraft, or for existing aircraft owners requiring a turnkey operational management service.

Hawker Beechcraft Corporation is a world-leading manufacturer of business, special mission and trainer aircraft – designing, marketing and supporting aviation products and services for businesses, governments and individuals worldwide.The company’s headquarters and major facilities are located in Wichita, Kan., with operations in Salina, Kan.; Little Rock, Ark.; Chester, England, U.K.; and Chihuahua, Mexico. The company leads the industry with a global network of more than 100 factory-owned and authorized service centres. For more information, visit www.hawkerbeechcraft.com