Produced between 1982 and 2002, a total of 695 Beechcraft 1900 aircraft of all variants were built. The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop fixed-wing aircraft manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company (now Textron Aviation). It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner. It is also used as a freight aircraft and corporate transport and by the United States military and other governments.

While the 1900C had become a popular regional airliner, Beechcraft undertook a substantial redesign of the aircraft, and in 1991 introduced a new version called the 1900D. This design featured a stretched interior, allowing passengers to walk upright instead of bending forward while loading the airplane. Other elements of the 1900D were also changed, with more powerful engines installed and winglets added to help with the drag added to the design by the taller passenger cabin.