MARKET REPORTIssue 23 OCTOBER 2009 A PUBLICATION OF SAAB AIRCRAFT LEASING GOLDEN AIR ACCEPTS SIXTH SAAB 2000 EASTERN SUPPORTS OIL OPS WITH SAAB 2000 ARGENTINE AIR FORCE FLY FOUR SAAB 340Bs FOR PATAGONIA MISSIONS SKYBAHAMAS READIES FOR SAAB 340 GROWTH A_SMR_SeptOctl09_CC.indd 1 9/28/09 9:47:56 AM MESSAGE FROM CONTENTS Michael Magnusson Golden Air accepts sixth Saab 2000 ..........................................3 With this issue of Saab Market Report, Eastern supports oil operations with Saab 2000 .................... 4-5 we approach the end of 2009, and it will probably be a year most airline Wings of Europe launches two sister companies ................... 6-8 people want to forget. It seems like we have reached the “bottom” in traffi c PenAir adapts to Alaska’s Mt. Redoubt eruption ........................9 decline, and there is a very cautious optimism that traffi c should begin its Polish operators SprintAir and SkyTaxi display long road to recovery. The question is: colorful liveries across European skies ............................... 10-11 how fast will the traffi c recover? Some believe that it will take both 2010 and Saab profi le: Kjell Fredheim.....................................................12 2011 until we are fully recovered. Rex introduces Electronic Flight Bag ..................................13-14 Even with the turmoil in the industry, we see some interesting positive SkyBahamas readies for growth with Saab 340As ............. 15-17 trends. One example is Thailand. Over the years, Thai International has served many domestic markets with large Argentine Air Force fl y four Saab 340Bs for aircraft, at a loss. It was deemed politically incorrect to drop these domestic Patagonia missions ............................................................ 18-19 routes. With the industry in “free fall”, such old dogmas go out the window. What is happening now is various local regionals are fi lling the void left by Thai Mark your calendar .................................................................................. 19 when it dropped these destinations. These regionals want to “right-size” the aircraft utilized and have chosen the Saab 340 to do the job. So overnight we Saab operators map ............................................................................... 20 have two regional operators already committed to incorporating Saab 340s, and in one case, even regional jets will be removed. Another major development for us is Mesaba’s (Delta) decision to reduce their Saab 340Bplus fl ying and return these aircraft to us. This recent development has provided us with the opportunity to offer new and existing operators the youngest Saab 340s. In fact, the fi rst two have already been placed with a long-time Saab 340 operator. These are mid-1990 airframes with Gen III cabin interiors and Active Noise Control systems. An advantage for new operators is we can offer a fl eet of aircraft with the same confi guration and access to Saab’s Parts Exchange Program (PEP). On the Saab 2000 front, Saab has just completed its biennial operators con- ference in Linköping. During this conference, various issues were discussed openly between Saab, its customers and current suppliers. I believe it was a very useful exercise for everyone present. We at Saab need to hear from our Cover photo by Eryl Crump customers so that we can improve our programs to make both the aircraft and its operators competitive. Market Report is published by Saab Aircraft Leasing Recently, we fi nished an unusual project which was supplying four completely refurbished Saab 340B aircraft, together with an extensive support and training Editor: Kelly Murphy package, to the Argentine Air Force. Saab won an international RFP to provide Emerald Media [email protected] this package, and we did so on budget and on schedule. All are now in service in some challenging environments in Patagonia. We have also reached the Europe: Alison Chambers fi nal stage in our delivery program of 340Bplus aircraft to Rex in Australia; the Emerald Media [email protected] last fi ve aircraft will be delivered by early 2010. By then, Rex will have become the world’s largest Saab 340 operator showing the strength of the Australian Design and Layout: regional market. The 30-seat Saab 340 is perfect for regional routes in the Aeris Graphic Design Outback, and Rex was recently selected as the most successful regional in the [email protected] world by a panel of experts at Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine. Printed in USA September 2009 Michael Magnusson ©2009 Saab Aircraft President and CEO, Saab Aircraft Leasing A_SMR_SeptOctl09_CC.indd 2 9/29/09 4:58:54 PM MARKET REPORT GOLDEN AIR ACCEPTS SIXTH SAAB 2000 STORY AND PHOTOS BY ERYL CRUMP Golden Air has taken delivery of Golden Air owns eight Saab GOLDEN AIR its sixth Saab 2000 (serial 007) 340s. Two are currently leased to ROUTE MAP Kiruna (as of September 2009) during this summer. Among NextJet, while one operates the FINLAND the routes it is operating is the airline’s own route from its base Östersund/Åre to Stockholm at Trollhättan to Stockholm Bromma route up to four times Bromma. Golden Air’s largest each weekday for the new aircraft are two ATR 72-500s. S WEDEN company Ostersundsfl yg.se that Golden Air was formed in Örnsköldsvikdsvvikv launched services on August 16. Östersund September 1976 and initially Sundsvall Th e other Golden Air Saab 2000s operated air taxi and charter are contracted to operate services services. Since then it has under- N O RWAY to Stockholm Bromma Airport gone several changes until being for other airlines including restructured under the current Sundsvallsfl yg, Blekingefl yg and ownership in August 1993. It SStockholm (Arlanda) Kullafl yg. Another Saab 2000 is wholly owned by shipping StockholmS (Bromma) serves Örnsköldsvik, on behalf of company Erik Th un and has 56 Höga Kusten Flyg, from Stock- employees. Trollhattan holm Arlanda. VisbyV Ronneby DEE NMARK Ängelholm MARKET REPORT | October 2009 3 A_SMR_SeptOctl09_CC.indd 3 9/29/09 10:37:43 PM MARKET REPORT EASTERN SUPPORTS OIL OPERATIONS WITH SAAB 2000 STORY AND PHOTOS BY ERYL CRUMP SOME OF THE AVIATION INDUSTRY’S MOST DEMANDING An oil worker, embarking a Saab 2000 fl ight at Aberdeen during August, PASSENGERS HAVE GIVEN EASTERN AIRWAYS AND THE SAAB tells Saab Market Report: “It’s a grand aircraft . It’s fast, comfortable and 2000 THE “THUMBS UP”. THE HUMBERSIDE, ENGLAND-BASED quiet. But more than that, it’s reliable. Aft er a spell off shore, the last AIRLINE WAS AWARDED THE CONTRACT LAST NOVEMBER FOR thing I want on my way home is to be delayed. We understand weather THE INTEGRATED AVIATION CONSORTIUM (IAC) TRANSPORTING can aff ect operations and its eff ects can be seen at Scatsta – the wind- OFFSHORE WORKERS FROM ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND TO SCATSTA sock is usually horizontal. Th e one thing I hate seeing is a man with a IN THE SHETLAND ISLES. toolbox heading to the aeroplane. Th at hasn’t happened with Eastern Airways,” he said. Th ree Saab 2000s are allocated to the fl ights with each aircraft operat- ing up to four daily 55-minute return trips. At Scatsta, the UK’s most Supporting business is priority northerly airport and Scotland’s fi fth busiest airport, most passengers While Eastern was due to start these oil support operations in February transfer onto Bristow Helicopters Sikorsky S-92 for fl ights to oil rigs 2009, the previous operator, Air Kilroe, ceased service and was acquired in the Brent and Ninian fi elds. Some passengers make the short trip by by Eastern. Th is prompted Eastern to start the service two months road to the Sullom Voe oil terminal where tankers are loaded with oil earlier. Eastern Airways Chief Operating Officer Chris Holliday brought ashore by pipeline. underlines: “Th e contract was due to start in February this year, but a call came last December when the IAC were left grounded by another 4 MARKET REPORT | October 2009 A_SMR_SeptOctl09_CC.indd 4 9/29/09 4:59:03 PM MARKET REPORT “ It’s a grand aircraft. It’s fast, comfortable and quiet. But more than that, it’s reliable.” —Oil worker embarking a Saab 2000 fl ight at Aberdeen airline. We got a call at 6:30am, and we were providing service by 11am. Charter contracts alone have already seen more than 1,400 fl ights made It is testament to the capabilities of the team that we achieved that, and since December. It is a perfect example of the company’s positioning in it is certainly in the interests of the company to respond at speed to the the aviation industry. customer requirement. We have always tried to be very responsive, and we focused on our priorities of supporting business.” “We are not trying to be a low-cost airline that crams people in. We are very focused on a high standard of service, day return frequencies, Eastern Airways has experienced signifi cant growth since it started and we want to make our fl ights as enjoyable as possible. Th at is the 12 years ago with one route from Humberside to Aberdeen and one underlying philosophy. A lot of passengers fl y with us every week or aircraft fl ying it. Built up primarily by serving businesses including the every other week. It is part of their lives and if we don’t get it right, it North Sea oil and gas industry, the network has developed across the would have serious consequences for them. Th is is why we have such a country by using smaller regional aircraft on routes other airlines with focus on being on time,” adds Holliday. larger capacity fl eets avoided. Eastern Airways now has 29 aircraft fl ying on a domestic and interna- tional scheduled network serving key business centers from 17 airports, as well as substantial charter activity.