Örebro, Sweden: On Monday, March 6th, the new Saab 2000F took to the air for the first time.
The aircraft was rolled out at TAM’s workshops at 10.30 a.m. whereafter the pilots – Petter Lundquist and TAM test pilot Åke Wargh – did the extensive pre-flight checks.
This first flight was a mere post maintenance flight, with a focus on systems tests, as the aircraft had been in the workshops since last autumn for the extensive rebuild as a freighter as well as regular maintenance and avionics upgrade.
The 45 minute flight went well, with all systems working as expected, with further flight testing commencing mid-March.
The new Saab 2000 cargo conversion, developed in close collaboration with launch customer Jetstream Aviation Capital of Miami, Florida, has been designed with a firm focus on the operators’ needs, having built-in features aimed at maximizing operational effectiveness.
– Despite some delays in the conversion process, I am glad to see that we now are back on track with the Saab 2000F, says Pär Gulle, TAM Managing Director.
– We are very much looking forward to add this new aircraft to our long line of Saab 340 cargo conversions that continue to attract operators world-wide, with a vast number of additional conversions in the coming the next 12-18 months. With the Saab 2000F, we can meet any need for a profitable regional cargo aircraft, Pär Gulle states.
For further information, please don’t hesitate to contact either
• Pär Gulle, via email or phone: +46 706 855 855 or
• Peter Thume, via email or phone: +46 706 355 355
Below, please find some additional photos from the first flight of the TAM-converted Saab 2000F Cargo (msn 037). For a high-res version, please click on the picture or send an email to Anders Annerfalk.
All photos are free for editorial use, please quote “Photo: TAM”.
