Danish operator JoinJet has taken delivery of the world's first Hawker 800XPR upgraded aircraft, with genuine Hawker winglets and TFE731-50R engines, and featuring greater range, better time to climb and faster cruise speeds.

The expanding company has also added a further Dornier 328 Jet to meet increasing demand from music groups.

The Hawker took its maiden flight with upgrades on November 14th on delivery from Chester to Billund, lasting one hour five minutes and using 2,025 pounds of fuel. "We are extremely pleased to be the first in the world to take delivery of the 800XPR. It is a privilege and it has been an amazing experience working with Hawker Beechcraft," says Kristoffer Sundberg, general manager of JoinJet.

"I personally captained the flight to Billund, and the enhanced performance was noticeable when we released the brakes at Chester, in the straight climb to FL390, the low fuel flow en-route, and the well-balanced feeling of hand flying the final approach."

JoinJet's company motto is 'green and growing', so it is keen to emphasise the reduced fuel consumption: "We are pleased that we now are able to offer our clients the greenest Hawker 800 in the world with the lowest CO2 footprint," adds Sundberg.

The company has experienced growing demand for vip services and believes that the 800XPR meets its current requirement for flights from Russia to southern Europe, which it says is only possible with this upgraded version of the aircraft. JoinJet also operates one Hawker 800XP2, two Dornier 328 Jets, one Citation Ultra and a Piaggio P.180.

Hawker Beechcraft has extended the availability of the upgraded aircraft to buyers who do not already own a suitable Hawker 800. The manufacturer will assist customers in locating and purchasing airframes for installation of applicable XPR programme updates and any other customer-specific options.