Beechcraft King Air 260 vs Pilatus PC-12 NGX
The PC-12 NGX flies further: 1,803 nm against 1,720 nm for the King Air 260. The PC-12 NGX has the bigger cabin: 330 cu ft against 303 cu ft for the King Air 260. The King Air 260 is faster at high-speed cruise: 310 kts against 290 kts for the PC-12 NGX.
King Air 260 or PC-12 NGX?
Which flies further, the King Air 260 or the PC-12 NGX?
The PC-12 NGX flies further: 1,803 nm against 1,720 nm for the King Air 260.
Which has the bigger cabin, the King Air 260 or the PC-12 NGX?
The PC-12 NGX has the bigger cabin: 330 cu ft against 303 cu ft for the King Air 260.
Which is faster, the King Air 260 or the PC-12 NGX?
The King Air 260 is faster at high-speed cruise: 310 kts against 290 kts for the PC-12 NGX.
Which is easier to charter in the UK?
8 King Air 260 and 7 PC-12 NGX are on the UK CAA charter list today. Both charter at turboprop rates; availability on your dates decides the price.
King Air 260 vs PC-12 NGX specifications
Verified figures, checked October 2026. Fleet counts from the CAA AOC holders list (2 November 2026) and operators' published fleets.
| Specification | King Air 260 Beechcraft (Textron Aviation) | PC-12 NGX Pilatus |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| Range | 1,720 nm (3,185 km) | 1,803 nm (3,339 km) (best) |
| High-speed cruise | 310 kts (best) | 290 kts |
| Maximum altitude | 35,000 ft (best) | 30,000 ft |
| Take-off distance | 2,111 ft (best) | 2,485 ft |
| Landing distance | 2,845 ft | 2,170 ft (best) |
| Cabin | ||
| Typical charter seats | Not published | 6 to 8 |
| Maximum seats | 7 | 9 (best) |
| Cabin length | 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m) | 16 ft 11 in (5.16 m) (best) |
| Cabin width | 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m) | 5 ft 0 in (1.52 m) (best) |
| Cabin height | 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m) | 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) (best) |
| Cabin volume | 303 cu ft | 330 cu ft (best) |
| Baggage | 55.3 cu ft (best) | 40 cu ft, reachable in flight |
| Engines and weights | ||
| Engines | 2 × 2 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-52 (850 shp each) | 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6E-67XP (1,200 shp takeoff, flat rated) |
| Maximum take-off weight | 12,500 lb | 10,450 lb |
| Fuel capacity | 3,645 lb | 2,704 lb |
| Price and ownership | ||
| First delivered | 2021 | 2020 |
| In production | Yes | Yes |
| New price | $6.7M (2024) | $6.2M (2024) |
| Pre-owned price | Not published | $2.8M to $5.6M |
| Operating cost per hour | $2,539 | $1,735 |
| Charter fleet | ||
| On the UK charter list | 8 aircraft (best) | 7 aircraft |
Gold marks the best figure in each row. Take-off distance: At maximum take-off weight, sea level. Cabin length: Manufacturers measure cabin length differently; volume is the fairer comparison. Operating cost per hour: As reported; some sources quote variable cost only, others include fixed costs. See the basis under each aircraft.
Both aircraft at a glance
Beechcraft King Air 260
- Seats
- Up to 7
- Range
- 1,720 nm
- Cabin
- 303 cu ft
- In production
- Yes
- Charter fleet
- 8 in the UK
UK operators: Dragonfly Executive Air Charter, FlyWales, Woodgate Aviation
King Air 260 specs, interior and price →
Pilatus PC-12 NGX
- Seats
- 6 to 8 (max 9)
- Range
- 1,803 nm
- Cabin
- 330 cu ft
- In production
- Yes
- Charter fleet
- 7 in the UK
UK operators: 247 Aviation, Jetfly UK, Oriens Aviation
PC-12 NGX specs, interior and price →Compare with other turboprops
Questions, answered
Still deciding? A charter specialist will talk you through aircraft, airports and price, with no obligation.
Ask a specialistWhich flies further, the King Air 260 or the PC-12 NGX?+
The PC-12 NGX flies further: 1,803 nm against 1,720 nm for the King Air 260.
Which has the bigger cabin, the King Air 260 or the PC-12 NGX?+
The PC-12 NGX has the bigger cabin: 330 cu ft against 303 cu ft for the King Air 260.
Which is faster, the King Air 260 or the PC-12 NGX?+
The King Air 260 is faster at high-speed cruise: 310 kts against 290 kts for the PC-12 NGX.
Which is easier to charter in the UK?+
8 King Air 260 and 7 PC-12 NGX are on the UK CAA charter list today. Both charter at turboprop rates; availability on your dates decides the price.
Where these numbers come from
- Aviation Safety Network: Beechcraft 200 Super King Air occurrences
- King Air 260, Beechcraft (Textron Aviation)
- Business Jet Traveler: Hawker Beechcraft's King Air 250 (Feb 2011)
- Beechcraft King Air 260 specifications and operating cost, GlobalAir.com (2026)
- ATSB: Investigation report 200003771, pilot and passenger incapacitation, Beech Super King Air 200 VH-SKC, Burketown, Queensland, 4 September 2000 (Mar 2001)
- Textron Aviation: Exceptional takeoff performance defines new King Air 250, Hawker Beechcraft release (Oct 2010)
- Textron Aviation: Beechcraft King Air 360 (Oct 2026)
- AOPA Pilot: Turbine quick look, Beechcraft King Air 200 (Sep 2020)
- King Air 260 debuts, AOPA (December 2020)
- King Air 260 product card, Textron Aviation (2025)
- Wikipedia: Beechcraft Super King Air
- Controller: Beechcraft debuts new interior color choices and cabin amenities for King Air 260s, Textron Aviation release (Jul 2021)
- NTSB: Aviation accident final report CEN15FA034, King Air B200 N52SZ, Wichita, Kansas (Mar 2016)
- ATSB: Investigation report AO-2017-024, loss of control and collision with terrain, Beech B200 King Air VH-ZCR, Essendon Airport, Victoria, 21 February 2017 (Sep 2018)
- Guardian Jet: 2023 King Air 260 S/N BY-451, N225AW, specification (Oct 2024)
- Controller: 1979 Beechcraft King Air 200 S/N BB-461, N313CT, listing (Oct 2026)
- Guardian Jet: 1994 King Air B200 S/N BB-1476, ZS-ODU, specification (Jun 2023)
- Guardian Jet: 2011 King Air 250 S/N BY-126, ZS-TEG, specification (Oct 2025)
- Guardian Jet: 1993 King Air B200 S/N BB-1462, N537EM, specification
- Controller: 2023 Beechcraft King Air 260 S/N BY-468, PS-INC, listing (Oct 2026)
- Beechcraft King Air 260 achieves FAA Type Certification, Textron Aviation (March 2021)
- EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.277 Beechcraft King Air, Issue 22 (December 2024)
- GlobalAir: Pilatus PC-12 NGX vs. Daher TBM 960, speed or the room to use it, Rob Hoffman (Jun 2026)
- Aviation Safety Network: Pilatus PC-12 occurrences
- AOPA: Pilatus unveils PC-12 Pro (Mar 2025)
- Pilatus PC-12 NGX Factsheet (PILL219E), Pilatus Aircraft Ltd
- Pilatus: PC-12 NGX Just the Facts (2024)
- CRAFT: Pilatus PC-12 NGX ownership and operating costs (Oct 2026)
- NTSB: Aircraft accident report AAR-11/05, loss of control while maneuvering, Pilatus PC-12/45 N128CM, Butte, Montana, 22 March 2009 (2011)
- Wikipedia: Pilatus PC-12
- AIN: PC-12 Pro is first aircraft certified with G3000 Prime (Mar 2025)
- NTSB: Preliminary report on South Dakota crash investigation, Pilatus PC-12 N56KJ, Chamberlain (Dec 2019)
- ANSV: Relazione d'inchiesta, Pilatus PC-12/47E YR-PDV, Milano, 3 October 2021 (Jun 2024)
- Rise Air: Pilatus PC-12 fleet page (2026)
- Pinnacle Aviation: Pilatus PC-12 NG S/N 1547 (2015), N711SR, sales brochure (Apr 2025)
- Pilatus: PC-12 product page (2026)
- GlobalAir: NTSB blames ice, overloaded aircraft in 2019 Pilatus PC-12 crash that killed 9 (May 2022)
- Guardian Jet spec sheet, PC-12 NG S/N 1690 (2017), N690NG (Jun 2022)
- Guardian Jet spec sheet, PC-12 NGX S/N 2186 (2022), N444YG (Oct 2025)
- Guardian Jet spec sheet, PC-12 NGX S/N 2364 (2024), N41NE
- Guardian Jet spec sheet, PC-12 NG S/N 1591 (2016), N871SA
- Luxaviation: 2022 Pilatus PC-12 NGX sales sheet 26-097 (Aug 2026)
- PlaneSense: Pilatus PC-12 NGX fleet page (2026)
- Aircraft Overview: Pilatus PC-12, Aviation Week
- Pilatus PC-12 NGX specifications and operating cost, GlobalAir.com (2026)
- PC-12 technical data and interior configurations, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd (2026)
- ASDNews: First PC-12 PRO delivery to a US customer, Pilatus press release (Nov 2025)
- Pilatus Delivers First PC-12 NGX Advanced Turboprops to Launch Customers, Aviation News (May 2020)
- CRAFT: Pilatus PC-12 model values and reported sales (Jul 2026)
- EASA type certificate EASA.A.089, PC-12 and variant
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