The Beechcraft 1900D aircraft is clearly the best 19 passenger airliner in the world. It offers the best operating value, the best dispatch reliability, the lowest number of maintenance hours per flight hour, unsurpassed seat mile cost and superior long-term value retention.

The 1900D offers a true stand up cabin (71 Inches tall) and an extra generous cabin volume which allows seating for everything from a 19-seat executive shuttle to a 12-place triple club corporate flagship. No other aircraft in its class can carry so much, so far, so fast.

While the Beechcraft 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.

The 1900 and 1900C, like most 19-passenger airliners and business jets, have fairly small passenger cabins, with ceilings so low that passengers cannot walk through the interior without bending forward. The 1900D was designed to remedy this by providing a "stand-up cabin," which would allow most passengers to walk upright. It is the only 19-seat airliner with this feature.

Because the taller passenger cabin adds both weight and drag to the airplane, other elements of the 1900D were also changed. More powerful engines and modified propellers were installed, winglets were added to reduce drag and increase the wings' efficiency, and the tail was made larger in response to the more powerful engines. The cockpit was updated with an Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS). The 1900D was certified under the then-new FAR Part 23 "Commuter Category" standards, which had replaced the earlier SFAR 41C. Since the UD serial numbers were already in use by the military 1900s, the 1900D airplanes have serial numbers beginning with UE. The 1900D is the most popular version of the airliner, with 438 of the 1900D built.