Using one of the world's largest and most prestigious air shows as a backdrop, Bismarck-based Point2Point Airways is announcing expansion plans.

P2P's management team, led by John Boehle, will announce today that the company will be purchasing twin-engine DA42 Twin Star aircraft from Diamond Aircraft, a 25-year-old Canadian company based in London, Ontario. The announcement will be made at the EAA AirVenture Convention in Oshkosh, Wis.

P2P will order up to 100 planes from Diamond. The first will be delivered in August and located in Bismarck. An agreement calls for the purchase of 10 of the four-seat propeller planes by January.

This is a switch from P2P's earlier plan, which called for the purchase of SR22 planes from Minnesota-based Cirrus Aircraft. Those next-generation planes incorporate the latest technology in navigation and include a parachute that could be employed in case of a catastrophic event. P2P does have two of the Cirrus planes among the three aircraft it has in its fleet.

"We decided on the Diamond Twin Star for a couple of reasons," P2P spokesman Leonard Lee said. "First, the one we're replacing the Cirrus with, the Twin Star, has all-weather capability. We also felt we could better grow our fleet with the Twin Star."

The first planes will be delivered in August and will immediately help the growing demand for P2P services, Lee said. Since officially opening for business in May, P2P has had more than 400 flights, about a quarter of those originating in Bismarck.

While headquartered in Bismarck, P2P has yet to set up a permanent office. While Bismarck will be P2P'S base of operations, the business plan calls for planes to be located throughout the region.

"The response to Point2Point from the Bismarck business community has been tremendous," Boehle said. "Businesses are discovering and taking advantage of the benefits of on-demand air travel, saving a lot of time and eliminating the hassles of traditional airlines or travel by car. The continued expansion of our fleet will allow us to accommodate the rapidly growing demand for our service."

P2P is also indicating interest in Diamond's jet-powered D-Jet, which is expected to receive Federal Aviation Administration certification in 2008. Lee said the cost of the Twin Star is about $500,000, with the D-Jet closer to $1 million. The D-Jet is also a four-passenger aircraft, with a greater range than the piston-powered aircraft.

"Diamond is a leading manufacturer of next-generation planes made out of composite materials," Lee said. "While the Twin Star doesn't have a parachute, the option will be available with the D-Jet, though P2P hasn't made a decision on whether it will include the option in the aircraft it orders.

"Both the D-Jet and Twin Star have the most advanced cockpit instrumentation in the world and are among the most advanced and efficient aircraft out there."

P2P Airways is the result of the Bismarck-Mandan Development Association's search for alternative air service and the city of Bismarck's sponsorship of a federal aeronautics grant.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 701-250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)