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Saab 2000
The Saab 2000 is a twin-engined high-speed turboprop airliner built by Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab. It is designed to carry 50–58 passengers and able to cruise at a maximum speed of 685 km/h (370 kn). Production took place in Linköping, Sweden. It first flew in March 1992 and was certified in 1994. The last aircraft was delivered in April 1999, a total of 63 aircraft were built. As of October 2024, a total of 31 Saab 2000s are either in airline or military service.
In the 1980s, Saab decided to build a fuselage-stretched derivative of its successful Saab 340 twin-turboprop regional airliner. The new aircraft was planned to meet a perceived demand for a high-speed 50-seat turboprop with good climb performance which could operate over short- and medium-range routes with similar block times to jet aircraft while retaining the efficiency provided by turboprop engines. The new airliner, named the Saab 2000, was formally launched in May 1989, with Saab already having firm orders for 46 aircraft and options for a further 147. The aircraft was assembled at Saab's Linköping factory, with major subcontractors including CASA, who built the aircraft's wings, Short Brothers, who built the rear fuselage and Valmet who built the aircraft's tail surfaces. The Saab 2000 first flew on 26 March 1992 and entered into scheduled airline service in September 1994, a few months after its certification by the Joint Aviation Authorities in March and the Federal Aviation Administration in April.
The Saab 2000 has a 15% greater wingspan than the Saab 340, and being 7.55 metres (24 ft 9 in) longer can carry up to 58 passengers (while for European Union, the certified Maximum Passenger Seating Capacities is 53 according to the Type-certificate Data Sheet issued by EASA.) in a high-density layout and 50 with a more comfortable 32 inches (81 cm) seat pitch. The 2000 was the first commercial aircraft to use the Allison GMA 2100 turboprop engines, which are derated to 3,390 kW (4,550 shp) for the plane. One engine was mounted on each wing, as in the 340, with the engines placed further from the fuselage than those of the 340 to reduce cabin noise. The Dowty-Rotol propellers are 3.81 m (12.5 ft) in diameter, and they have a slow rotational speed of 1,100 rpm at takeoff and 950 rpm in cruise. The aircraft was designed to operate at a maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.62.
Sales of the Saab 2000 were fairly limited. The major initial customer was Crossair, a regional airline at which Swissair was the majority shareholder of it since 1993. Crossair dubbed the aircraft "Concordino". The airline took delivery of 34 aircraft since year 1994 and retired the type in year 2005.
Crossair also took the delivery of the last example of newly manufactured Saab 2000 on 29 April 1999. The reason for Saab to cease the production of this aircraft type is due to limited demand, and the low sales during the production period was due to the success of regional jets such as the Bombardier CRJ and Embraer ERJ 145 family which provided better passenger comfort combined with better profitability.
France-based carrier Regional Airlines of Nantes took delivery of its first Saab 2000 turboprop in Paris in year 1995, which was scheduled to serve between Lyon and Madrid. In year 1996, the carrier accepted its fifth Saab 2000 into service, and the aircraft was assigned for the Marseille to Amsterdam route in August 1996.
The government of Marshall Islands committed to purchase two Saab 2000s (with an option to purchase two more), and the first delivery was taken by Air Marshall Islands to serve Micronesia Island region of the Pacific Ocean between year 1995-1998; after that the plane was leased to Air Vanuatu serving between Fiji and Vanuatu, while the lease was terminated in March 1999, and after that such Saab 2000 aircraft was sold to a Europe-based air carrier.
General Motors operated several 36-seat versions of Saab 2000 for corporate shuttle operations out of its Detroit headquarters between 1995 and 2007 and during that period was in talks with startup air carrier Pro Air to launch a regional airline unit to feed flights into Detroit City Airport. GM would offer a free lease on three Saab 2000s in exchange for free flights for its employees and a share in the revenues made on routes eventually chosen by Pro Air. However, the FAA grounded Pro Air on 18 September 2000 before consummation of the deal, and on 28 September 2000 NTSB rejected Pro Air's bid to return to the skies. One of the Saab 2000 aircraft previously operated by GM was delivered to the flight department of Penske Corporation in April 2008, and the aircraft was used to support the group’s NASCAR auto racing team.
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Saab 2000
The Saab 2000 is a twin-engined high-speed turboprop airliner built by Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab. It is designed to carry 50–58 passengers and able to cruise at a maximum speed of 685 km/h (370 kn). Production took place in Linköping, Sweden. It first flew in March 1992 and was certified in 1994. The last aircraft was delivered in April 1999, a total of 63 aircraft were built. As of October 2024, a total of 31 Saab 2000s are either in airline or military service.
In the 1980s, Saab decided to build a fuselage-stretched derivative of its successful Saab 340 twin-turboprop regional airliner. The new aircraft was planned to meet a perceived demand for a high-speed 50-seat turboprop with good climb performance which could operate over short- and medium-range routes with similar block times to jet aircraft while retaining the efficiency provided by turboprop engines. The new airliner, named the Saab 2000, was formally launched in May 1989, with Saab already having firm orders for 46 aircraft and options for a further 147. The aircraft was assembled at Saab's Linköping factory, with major subcontractors including CASA, who built the aircraft's wings, Short Brothers, who built the rear fuselage and Valmet who built the aircraft's tail surfaces. The Saab 2000 first flew on 26 March 1992 and entered into scheduled airline service in September 1994, a few months after its certification by the Joint Aviation Authorities in March and the Federal Aviation Administration in April.
The Saab 2000 has a 15% greater wingspan than the Saab 340, and being 7.55 metres (24 ft 9 in) longer can carry up to 58 passengers (while for European Union, the certified Maximum Passenger Seating Capacities is 53 according to the Type-certificate Data Sheet issued by EASA.) in a high-density layout and 50 with a more comfortable 32 inches (81 cm) seat pitch. The 2000 was the first commercial aircraft to use the Allison GMA 2100 turboprop engines, which are derated to 3,390 kW (4,550 shp) for the plane. One engine was mounted on each wing, as in the 340, with the engines placed further from the fuselage than those of the 340 to reduce cabin noise. The Dowty-Rotol propellers are 3.81 m (12.5 ft) in diameter, and they have a slow rotational speed of 1,100 rpm at takeoff and 950 rpm in cruise. The aircraft was designed to operate at a maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.62.
Sales of the Saab 2000 were fairly limited. The major initial customer was Crossair, a regional airline at which Swissair was the majority shareholder of it since 1993. Crossair dubbed the aircraft "Concordino". The airline took delivery of 34 aircraft since year 1994 and retired the type in year 2005.
Crossair also took the delivery of the last example of newly manufactured Saab 2000 on 29 April 1999. The reason for Saab to cease the production of this aircraft type is due to limited demand, and the low sales during the production period was due to the success of regional jets such as the Bombardier CRJ and Embraer ERJ 145 family which provided better passenger comfort combined with better profitability.
France-based carrier Regional Airlines of Nantes took delivery of its first Saab 2000 turboprop in Paris in year 1995, which was scheduled to serve between Lyon and Madrid. In year 1996, the carrier accepted its fifth Saab 2000 into service, and the aircraft was assigned for the Marseille to Amsterdam route in August 1996.
The government of Marshall Islands committed to purchase two Saab 2000s (with an option to purchase two more), and the first delivery was taken by Air Marshall Islands to serve Micronesia Island region of the Pacific Ocean between year 1995-1998; after that the plane was leased to Air Vanuatu serving between Fiji and Vanuatu, while the lease was terminated in March 1999, and after that such Saab 2000 aircraft was sold to a Europe-based air carrier.
General Motors operated several 36-seat versions of Saab 2000 for corporate shuttle operations out of its Detroit headquarters between 1995 and 2007 and during that period was in talks with startup air carrier Pro Air to launch a regional airline unit to feed flights into Detroit City Airport. GM would offer a free lease on three Saab 2000s in exchange for free flights for its employees and a share in the revenues made on routes eventually chosen by Pro Air. However, the FAA grounded Pro Air on 18 September 2000 before consummation of the deal, and on 28 September 2000 NTSB rejected Pro Air's bid to return to the skies. One of the Saab 2000 aircraft previously operated by GM was delivered to the flight department of Penske Corporation in April 2008, and the aircraft was used to support the group’s NASCAR auto racing team.