The Sedgwick County Sheriff's office will be purchasing an airplane from the Kansas Highway Patrol.
The King Air 350 will cost the county $2.5 million. The sheriff's office transfers inmates 2 to 3 times per week, so the purchase makes economic sense over driving, using commercial flights, or chartering a flight.
The plane was built by Textron, so the county will save money since aircraft maintenance and pilot training can be done in Wichita.
The sheriff's office has been searching for a replacement aircraft for three years. Their current model is over 50 years old and no parts are available if repairs are needed.
To purchase the plane, the county will use $1.89 million from their equipment reserve fund and the remaining $610 thousand will be transferred from the county's operating reserve fund to the sheriff's fleet budget.