Garmin Autoland and Autothrottle Certified for King Air 300/350
Garmin has secured FAA certification to retrofit its Autoland and Autothrottle systems into select Beechcraft King Air 300 and 350 turboprops equipped with the G1000 NXi avionics suite. The approval marks a major milestone, bringing Garmin’s advanced Autonomi safety technologies to the workhorse twin-turboprop segment and expanding their reach beyond smaller piston and turbine aircraft.
The certification covers both Autoland and Autothrottle for King Air 350 models, while Autothrottle is immediately available for the King Air 300, with Autoland expected to follow later. With this approval, the King Air 350 becomes the largest aircraft certified to use Garmin’s Autoland system, which has already been integrated into 10 other aircraft types.
“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 equipage for many of those aircraft,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s Vice President of Aviation Sales, Marketing, Programs & Support. “It’s just the beginning.”
Autothrottle Capabilities
Garmin’s Autothrottle provides automated power management throughout all phases of flight. It optimizes throttle settings for climb, cruise, and descent, while protecting against engine overtemperature, overtorque, and overspeed conditions. The system can automatically adjust power to stabilize performance during engine failure scenarios, reducing pilot workload and enhancing safety, particularly in complex or high-traffic airspace.
Autoland for Emergencies
The Autoland system is designed as a last line of defense if a pilot becomes incapacitated. Once activated manually or automatically, it selects the most suitable runway based on runway length, weather, fuel, and terrain. It communicates with air traffic control, executes the approach, lands, applies brakes, and shuts down the engines—without human intervention. Clear cockpit display messages and audio prompts explain each step, reassuring passengers and even allowing limited communication with controllers.
G1000 NXi Enhancements
Alongside Autoland and Autothrottle, Garmin is rolling out enhancements to the King Air’s G1000 NXi avionics suite. Updates include expanded Synthetic Vision features with 3D taxiway and airport structure views, Runway Occupancy Awareness powered by ADS-B, and new single-engine stability protection. The GWX 8000 StormOptix weather radar has also been integrated, offering turbulence and hail prediction along with automated tilt and gain adjustments.
Expanding the Reach of Autonomi
Garmin first introduced Autoland in 2019 as part of its Autonomi safety suite. It debuted in the Piper M600/SLS and was later certified in the Cirrus Vision Jet SF50 and Daher TBM 940. The system earned the Robert J. Collier Trophy in 2020 for its life-saving potential and has since expanded into additional aircraft, including the Cirrus SR22 G7+ piston single with its Safe Return Autoland feature in 2025.
With Autoland now certified for the King Air 350, Garmin has made a leap into business aviation, signaling that its autonomous safety systems are poised to become mainstream across larger and more complex aircraft categories. Retrofit installations are available through Garmin-authorized dealers for eligible King Air aircraft.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, aerotime.aero