South Dakota buys turboprop for new state airplane

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s purchase of an updated state airplane was completed Thursday with the state opting for a less flashy but still upscale turboprop aircraft after some lawmakers questioned whether she wanted a jet. The Department of Transportation purchased a 2015 Beechcraft King Air 350 for about $4.5 million. The aircraft, which holds up to nine passengers, is marketed to business executives with pull-out work tables and onboard Wi-Fi. Legislators were skeptical earlier this year when she requested a $5 million allocation to update the state’s plane fleet. Some believed she was angling to buy a jet. A spokesman for the governor said the King Air 350 was identified as the best fit for the state.