JoinJet, part of Sun Air of Scandinavia, is eager to put the first upgraded Hawker 800XPR to work. Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (HBC GCS) reports that the aircraft is progressing toward a mid-year certification following the recent installation of genuine Hawker winglets at the company's Chester, UK, service centre.

It adds: "The aircraft has been flown to the US where it is now preparing for the installation of new Honeywell TFE731-50R engines."

HBC and JoinJet say they are pleased with the progress of the programme and are anxiously awaiting certification.

"JoinJet is eager to put the aircraft to work, flying its clients throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while we are preparing our service centres to support the installation demand," says Christi Tannahill, HBC GCS vp. The aircraft's baseline pre-upgrade performance has been established and it is currently undergoing minor structural and electrical modifications prior to engine installation. Ground power runs are expected within the next several weeks followed by flight-testing and certification.

He adds: "Once JoinJet's aircraft is certified, interested Hawker 800XP and 850XP owners and operators can choose to have their aircraft similarly upgraded at the Chester or Little Rock service centres."

JoinJet says the Hawker 800XPR upgrade offers significant improvements over the performance and capability of the 800XP.

"We will benefit from greater range, better climb time and faster cruise speeds," it adds. "In addition, optional avionics, a new-style interior and XPR custom paint designs were available."