The Saab 340 & 2000 at Liverpool Airport

[viscount]

SAAB 340 VISITS TO LJLA

Been asked by on PM if given the recent spate of Saab 340 visits with freight in early 2019, we are seeing a record number of different aircraft calling. This challenge has sent me looking back into the Annual Reports for the past 35 years to establish an answer. 'AndyH' you owe me a 'like' for this reply within only a few hours.

Remember our enthusiast records show the number of different aircraft in each year, not the total number of visits by a type. So while in 1987 we had just the one aircraft calling, it was Manx Airlines' G-HOPP on several flights a day for some (at a guess) around 330 days in the year so say 1,500 to 2,000 landings per year, while for example in 2016 we had three different aircraft, each calling just the once.

The maximum number of different aircraft in a year currently stands at a record of 9, achieved in 1992 and 1994 at a time when Business Air had a fleet of 7 and were involved in nightly mail flights. For the record the first visit by type was in 1985 when G-BSFI of Birmingham Executive called on 1st February. The following three years this aircraft was based at Liverpool, now as G-HOPP with Manx Airlines.

1980  -     1990  2R=    2000  3    2010  4    2020 13
1981  -     1991  5R     2001  4    2011  5    2021  9
1982  -     1992  9R     2002  0    2012  1    2022 11
1983  -     1993  7      2003  1    2013  1    2023
1984  -     1994  9R=    2004  0    2014  1
1985  1 fv  1995  1      2005  0    2015  2
1986  2R    1996  7      2006  2    2016  3
1987  2R=   1997  5      2007  2    2017  6
1988  1     1998  4      2008  5    2018  8
1989  0     1999  3      2009  2    2019 14R    

In relation to the question asked, I was not surprised to find the best years were during the early '90s, but the reasonable totals for 2017 and 2018 did surprise me despite having only worked them out during the past few months! 2017's 6 different aircraft comprised 2 Hungarian and 4 Polish; while in 2018 it was 3 Hungarian and 5 Polish aircraft.

That leaves the question hanging - are we already in the best ever year for variety of different Saab 340's visiting? Well the actual answer is I simply don't know! My running annual totals are always a month behind the current calendar month as I have to compile the Visiting Aircraft Log first - so I don't yet have the raw data even for January 2019. Has anyone been keeping a record from the daily logs on nwan? Certainly 2019 is the best year for the past 26 years in terms of number of visits in a 35 day period, but has there been enough variety (yet) to beat the 9 different aircraft of 1994?

May well move this and subsequent posts on the topic to 'Liverpool Airport Nostalgia' as a type visit report in a couple of days, once the daily thread has moved on.


HA-TAD Saab 340A Fleetair 2007 by Beemer328i, on Flickr


HA-TAB Saab 340AF 2010 by Beemer328i, on Flickr


ES-NSA Saab 340B 2019 by Beemer328i, on Flickr


YL-RAG Saab 340B RAF Avia by Beemer328i, on Flickr


SP-KPK Saab 340A SprintAir 04-02-2019 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

VISITING SAAB 340 AIRCRAFT OVER THE YEARS

   
    
1985  1 fv G-BSFI.                                                                 Birmingham Executive   
1986  2R   G-HOPP, SE-E68.                                                         Manx Airlines, Saab Aircraft
1987  2R=  G-HOPP, SE-E94.                                                         Manx Airlines, Saab Aircraft   
1988  1    G-HOPP.                                                                 Manx Airlines     
1989  0     
1990  2R=  HB-AHL, HB-AHZ.                                                         needs research  
1991  5R   G-GNTA, EI-CFA, EI-CFB, EI-CFC, EI-CFD.                                 Business Air, Aer Lingus
1992  9R   G-GNTA, G-GNTB, G-GNTC, EI-CFA, EI-CFB, EI-CFC, EI-CFD, F-GHDB, HB-AHC. Business Air, Aer Lingus, Brittany Air, Crossair
1993  7    G-GNTA, G-GNTB, G-GNTC, G-GNTD, G-GNTE, EI-CFB, HB-AKB.                 Business Air, Aer Lingus, Crossair
1994  9R=  G-GNTA, G-GNTB, G-GNTC, G-GNTD, G-GNTE, G-GNTF, G-GNTG, EI-CFB, EI-CFC. Business Air, Aer Lingus.
1995  1    G-GNTF.                                                                 Business Air
1996  7    G-GNTA, G-GNTB, G-GNTC, G-GNTD, G-GTNE, G-GNTF, G-GNTG.                 Business Air
1997  5    G-GNTA, G-GNTB, G-GNTC, G-GNTE, G-GNTF.                                 Business Air
1998  4    G-GNTB, G-GNTC, G-GNTF, G-GNTG.
1999  3    G-GNTD, G-GNTE, G-GNTG.
2000  3    G-GNTB, G-GNTC, G-GNTF.                                                 Aurigny, Business Air('TF)
2001  4    G-GNTB, G-GNTC, G-GNTG, G-RUNG                                          Aurigny,
2002  0
2003  1    SE-KRN.                                                                 Eastern Airways (lsd from Skyline) 
2004  0
2005  0
2006  2    SP-MRB, YL-RAG.                                                         Sky Taxi, RAF-Avia
2007  2    HA-TAD, YL-RAG.                                                         Jetline, RAF-Avia
2008  5    G-LGNB, G-LGNF, G-LGNL, LY-NSC, LY-RUN.                                 Loganair, Nordic Solutions(?), Danu Oro(?)
2009  2    HA-TAD, SP-MRB.
2010  4    HA-TAB, HA-TAD, SP-KPK, SP-MRB.                                         Fleet Air, Sky Taxi
2011  5    G-LGNC, HA-TAB, SP-MRB, YL-RAG, YL-RAH.                                 Loganair, Fleet Air, Sky Taxi, RAF-Avia
2012  1    HA-TAD.                                                                 Fleet Air
2013  1    G-LGNA.                                                                 Loganair
2014  1    SP-MRC.                                                                 Skytaxi
2015  2    G-LGNK, SP-MRC.                                                         Loganair, Skytaxi.
2016  3    HA-TAB, HA-TAD, SP-MRB.                                                 Fleet Air, Sky Taxi
2017  6    HA-TAB, HA-TAG, SP-KPE, SP-KPH, SP-KPZ, SP-MRB.                         Fleet Air, Sprint Air, Sky Taxi
2018  8    HA-TAD, HA-TAG, HA-TVJ, SP-KPG, SP-KPR, SP-KPV, SP-KPZ, SP-MRB.         Fleet Air, Sprint Air, Sky Taxi
2019  14R  ES-LSB, ES-LSC, ES-LSI, ES-NSA, HA-TAB, HA-TAD, HA-TAG, HA-TVJ, SP-KPE, Airest Cargo, Fleetair, Nyx Air Cargo, Sprint Air, Skytaxi
           SP-KPK, SP-KPU, SP-KPZ, SP-KRK, SP-MRB.
2020  13   ES-LSC, ES-NSA, ES-NSD, ES-NSG, G-LGNI, HA-TAB, HA-TVJ, SP-KPE, SP-KPH, Airest Cargo, Fleetair, Loganair, Nyx Air Cargo, RAF-Avia, Sprint Air, Skytaxi
           SP-KPK, SP-KPR, SP-MRB, YL-RAG
2021   9   ES-LSF, G-LGNK, G-RVGB, HA-TAB, HA-TAD, HA-TAG, PH-CUA, SP-MRA, YL-RAG. Airest Cargo, Loganair, RVL Aviation, Fleetair, Jet Netherlands, Skytaxi, RAF-Avia
2022  11   G-LGNB. G-LGNG, G-LGNH, G-LGNJ, G-RVVE, HA-TAB, HA-TAD, HA-TAG, HA-TVJ, Loganair, RVL Aviation, Fleet Air, RAF-Avia.
           YL-RAE, YL-RAG.
2023

Work in progress, there is some confusion over operating airlines in the late 1990s to be resolved.


YL-RAG Saab 340B RAF Avia by Beemer328i, on Flickr


SP-KPH Saab 340A Sprint Air by Beemer328i, on Flickr


SP-KPZ Saab 340A by Beemer328i, on Flickr


SP-MRB Saab 340A Sky Taxi by Beemer328i, on Flickr

VISITING SAAB 2000 AIRCRAFT OVER THE YEARS

This listing duplicates a more detailed and illustrated look at visits by Saab 2000 aircraft.  Link:  derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/780/saab-2000s-liverpool-airport

1996  1 fv  HB-IZW  Type first visit by HB-IZW on 27.12.1996
1997  2 R   HB-IZA, HB-IZB.
1998  0
1999  0
2000  0
2001  0
2002  0
2003  0
2004  0
2005  2     G-CDKA, HB-IZJ.
2006  3     G-CDEA, G-CDEB, G-CDKA.
2007  5 R   G-CDEA, G-CBEB, G-CDKB, G-CERY/D-AOLA, G-CERZ.
2008  5 R=  G-CDEA, G-CDKA, G-CDKB, G-CERY, G-CERZ.
2009  9 R   G-CDEA, G-CDEB, G-CDKA, G-CDKB, G-CERY, G-CERZ, G-CFLU, G-CFLV, D-AOLC.
2010  8     G-CDEA, G-CDEB, G-CDKA, G-CDKB, G-CERY, G-CERZ, G-CFLU, G-CFLV.
2011  8     G-CDEA, G-CDEB, G-CDKA, G-CDKB, G-CERY, G-CERZ, G-CFLU, G-CFLV.
2012  4     G-CDKA, G-CDKB, G-CERY, G-CFLU.
2013  0
2014  3	    G-CDKA, G-CFLU, G-CFLV
2015  1     HB-IZP
2016  9 R=  G-CDEB, G-CDKA, G-CERY, G-CFLU. G-CFLV, G-CIEC, SE-LRA, SE-LTV, SE-MFF.
2017  3	    G-CDEB, G-CDKA, G-CERZ
2018  4     G-CDKB, G-CERY, G-CERZ, G-GIEC.
2019  2     G-CERZ, G-CIEC
2020  0
2021  0
2022  1     ES-NSF
2023

Both this 2019 thread relating to Saab 340/2000 visits, and an earlier 2009 thread relating just to the Saab 2000 updated April 2023.

[andyh]

Thanks Brian, much appreciated. I make it potentially nine so far this year: ES-NSA, HA-TAB*, TAD, SP-KPE, KPK, KPR, KPU, KPZ, MRB

*Was expected the day the airport was SNOCLO for the morning so unsure if it arrived or not

Updated 9/2 with additional aircraft

[Ant]

For some additional trivia - the Saab 340 landing gear was designed and manufactured by AP Precision Hydraulics who were based in Shaw Road Speke(and my employer) at the time.

Ant

[andyh]

Feb 5, 2019 13:05:07 GMT 1 Ant said:

For some additional trivia - the Saab 340 landing gear was designed and manufactured by AP Precision Hydraulics who were based in Shaw Road Speke(and my employer) at the time.

Ant

And maintained at their plant in Runcorn, which my cousin used to run...!

[viscount]

Looks like the Saab 340, a type which first visited in 1985, has reached a record number of different aircraft visiting in 2019. Added to those which had visited by early February are HA-TAB and now in early May HA-TVJ to make 10. This exceeds 1992 and 1994 when there were 9 different aircraft during the calendar year - at that time though mostly British registered ones, rather than Estonian, Hungarian and Polish operated.

[viscount]

'Beemer' has added-in a number of recent Saab 340 digital images. Hunting back into the archives, I've managed to find a few older ones, scanned from 5x7 colour prints to add to this rejuvinated thread.



Business Air operated a leased Sab 340A HB-AHL in 1990, here with Business Air titles and Swiss tail and registration.



Aurigny's white G-GNTB either on Tuesday 9th January 2001, or the following day, sat at Liverpool while flying as a substitute aircraft for another carrier, day-stopping between mail flights.







Could any review of Saab 340s at Liverpool Airport not include images of 'our' G-HOPP leased-in by Manx between November 1986 and October 1988 to operate their Liverpool to London/Heathrow service. An aircraft that came to be liked by passengers, but not loved by despatch staff (or engineers).

More discussion and images of G-HOPP on thread: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/5457


This relatively recent thread (February 2019) had reached 610 'hits' by the time images were added in April 2023.