Wheels Up exercised an option yesterday at EBACE to purchase its next tranche of 35 Beechcraft King Air 350is from the membership charter firm’s initial order placed in 2013 for up to 105 of the turboprop twins. The additional aircraft will expand the company’s fleet in the U.S.

To date, Wheels Up has taken delivery of 31 of its initial firm order for 35 King Airs from Textron Aviation. Deliveries of the next 35 aircraft, which will be outfitted with the new Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics system and include contracted factory maintenance, are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2016. The private aviation company also has taken delivery of 10 factory-refurbished Cessna Citation Excel/XLSs from Textron Aviation.

“The Textron Aviation family is proud that Wheels Up not only chose the King Air 350i to launch its company, but that we can now offer them the industry’s widest range of aircraft solutions to support their growth,” said Textron Aviation president and CEO Scott Ernest. Wheels Up signed the King Air contract with Beechcraft in mid-2013 and Cessna Aircraft parent Textron Aviation acquired Beechcraft in March 2014.

“I feel like we are just getting started,” Wheels Up founder and CEO Kenny Dichter said yesterday at EBACE. “Our current Wheels Up fleet plan calls for 175 King Air 350is and 50 Cessna Citation Excel/XLSs by 2021, and we are exploring ways to incorporate additional Textron products onto the Wheels Up platform.”

Speaking about growth plans outside of the U.S., Dichter told AIN that the company plans to expand to Europe and Canada in the fourth quarter of 2016. At that time, he expects Wheels Up to have two or three European-registered King Airs in the Old Continent, as well as several C-numbered 350is in Canada.