Almost all Hawker owners polled by EBAN reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the 800 series maintenance support, dispatch reliability and operating capability. But among criticisms and suggestions for improvements there was near-unanimity that an outside luggage door, or more luggage storage capacity or a different layout would be most welcome. Also on the operators' wishlist was better fuel consumption and bleed air for wing/tail anti-ice.

Imran Ahmed, reporting from the UAE's Western Aviation, summed up the general happiness with the Hawker. "Our Hawker 900XP has been a great hit in the charter market and is one of the most preferred midsized jets. It has been operational since January 2008," he says. "The best thing is the comfort, cabin size, range and stand-up cabin which provides much of the reason for the popularity of this midsize jet. There is also the privacy offered to passengers through having a door divide. But the worst thing is that there is no outside luggage hold access: this is a big disadvantage."

There was also dissatisfaction with the TKS de-icing system with one respondent reporting: "The Hawker 800 is a well tried and tested workhorse that always performs when needed. I like the old format which contains nothing too new and trendy but the worst thing is the TKS de-icing system which was a pain from day one."

Some 45 per cent of respondents were very satisfied with maintenance support and the remainder satisfied although one respondent wanted more commitment to the operator. Those very satisfied with dispatch reliability equated to 63 per cent of respondents with the rest satisfied, although one operator reported: "It is good but can let you down when least expected."

The percentage of those very satisfied with operating capability dropped to 54 per cent with 37 per cent satisfied but there was a minority that were unhappy. In addition, all of our survey respondents were either satisfied or very satisfied with the aircraft's value for many.

Manufacturer's comment

We've looked at bleed air for wing/tail anti-ice a number of times and this is something that is indeed on the list of future product improvements. With that said, the TKS system is a time-tested, reliable system that continues to serve the airplane very well. One of the benefits of the system is that there is no bleed air extraction from the engines, thus the airplane benefits from all the available thrust from the engines at all times.

The baggage space has been optimised as much as possible within the current airframe. The 750 has an external baggage area but this comes at the sacrifice of fuel capacity which equates to range. Additional baggage space is certainly worthy of consideration on any future upgrade. We have made improvements to fuel consumption by certifying a new engine for the Hawker 900XP. On a typical trip, the 900XP burns four per cent less fuel and can be operated for less per hour than a 750/800XP/850XP.

The current cabin layout has evolved over the years from customer feedback and a continued effort to maximise the space available. We are always looking for ways to improve the passenger experience. However, without a major change in the length of the fuselage, the current layout has been optimised for the space available.

The aircraft has a history of robustness. The airframe has been around for a long time and has operated all over the world. People know the aircraft well and the experience in the field rivals anything in the industry. It is also a very rugged aircraft. A unique blend of new technology (avionics and cabin management system) and simple straightforward systems makes the maintainability and reliability stand tall. The aircraft is reliable, very comfortable and performs its duties day in and day out.