The SAAB 2000 is a twin-engine transport aircraft with a max payload of 5900 kg or up to 2 crew and 58 passengers.
Development studies on a 47 to 58-seat commuter airliner based on the SAAB 340 design started in 1985. Development
of the SAAB 2000, a high-speed regional turboprop based on the SAAB 340 design, started in 1988 when Crossair
ordered 25 SAAB 2000 airliners, with an option on a further 25. Development of the SAAB 2000 was done in cooperation
with the launching customer Crossair from Switzerland. Production of the
first prototype began in 1990. Several European aerospace firms participated in the Saab 2000
manufacturing program including CASA, Westland and Valmet of Finland. The Saab 2000's first flight took place
on 26 March 1992, and certification in Europe was granted in March 1994.
Certification by the FAA followed in April 1994. The SAAB 2000 entered airliner services in 1994 with Crossair.
The Saab 2000 is a fast turboprop airliner with a cruise speed of over 665km/h.
Lack of sales and profitability forced Saab to cease the 2000 production with just 63 aircraft built.
The last SAAB 2000 was delivered to Crossair in April 1999.
OLT was original founded in 1958 in Emden as "Ostfriesische Lufttaxi Dekker und Janssen oHG"
with the intention to operate the whole range of aviation services out of Emden including flights tot the Frisian
Islands. The company started their operations with a single SAI KZ-VII Laerke. Several aircraft types and company
names are operated since. With the introduction of the Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander in 1967 the company was known
as O.L.T. or Ostfriesische Lufttaxi. In 1970 the Ostfriesische Lufttaxi GmbH added its first DHC-6 Twin Otter to
the fleet and next to the regular services to the Frisian Isles, O.L.T. started regional airliner services in Germany.
The expansion of the operations in Germany led in 1974 to the split-up of the company in O.L.T. and D.L.T.
D.L.T.-Deutsche Luftverkehrsgesellschaft mbH is today known as the Lufthansa CityLine. After the split-up
of the company the OLT remained operating a fleet of Islanders and Cessna's out Emden on the services to the
Frisian Isles. Today, OLT Ostfriesische Lufttransport GmbH operates regular airline services out
of Bremen with a fleet of SAAB 340, SAAB 2000 and Fairchild Metroliner
and regular services tot the Isles out of Emden with a fleet of Gippsland GA-8 Airvan, Cessna 172,
Cessna 208 Caravan and Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander aircraft.
On 5 May 2006, SAAB 2000 D-AOLT was operating a charter flight out of
Emden when it was photographed at the airfield were OLT has its roots.
SAAB 2000 s/n 2000-008 flew first as SE-008 on 30 Septemeber 1993. The
airframe was delivered to Crossair as HB-IZE. After the defunct of
Swissair and the founding of the new Swiss airliner, the HB-IZE was
transfered to Swiss International Air Lines. On 5 November 2003, the
aircraft entered the OLT fleet as D-AOLA, leased from Uppsala Aircraft.
SAAB 2000 D‑AOLA was in service with OLT based at Bremen Airport and operated until October 2007
when the airframe was replaced by SAAB 2000 D-AOLC. On 21 September 2007, after the registration D-AOLA was cancelled, the
airliner was registered G-CERY with Air Kilroe LTD. t/a Eastern Airways in the UK.
Luchtvaart déjà vu
