Garmin’s Autoland, Autothrottle Certified for King Air 350

Garmin has received FAA certification of its Autothrottle and Autoland technology for King Air 350 aircraft equipped with a G1000 NXi avionics suite, according to a company press release on Wednesday. King Air 300 models equipped with G1000 NXi systems also received approval, with plans for Autoland certification not far behind.

First approved by the FAA for the King Air 200 in 2023, the Autothrottle technology is fully integrated with the G1000 NXi flight deck and manages engine control from takeoff to landing, ensuring the aircraft maintains its target speed and thrust. Autothrottle automatically activates in overspeed or underspeed situations, and if the system detects an engine failure, it will set the power lever on the failed side to a fixed position while adjusting the operating throttle lever to maintain the correct airspeed. 

European King Air 200 operators recently received similar approval by the EASA for both systems in March.

“Nearly 1,000 King Air operators now enjoy the capabilities that the G1000 upgrade has provided them. This announcement adds a direct pathway to Autothrottle and Autoland equipment for many of those aircraft. This certification also marks the largest airplane to date equipped with Autoland, and is the eleventh aircraft model certified with this potentially life-saving technology,” said Carl Wolf, vice president aviation sales and marketing at Garmin.

Upgrades for the Autoland and Autothrottle systems are available for retrofit on existing King Air 350 aircraft through Garmin authorized dealers.