Saab 2000s at Liverpool Airport , updated & images refreshed

[viscount]

THE SAAB 2000 AT LIVERPOOL AIRPORT

With Eastern Airways due to use Saab 2000 aircraft on some of their Southampton and Aberdeen schedules through Liverpool from early July 2009, this is a timely moment to consider previous visits by the type.

Note that while I am certain of which registations appeared at Liverpool in a calendar year, I cannot guarentee that I have found every visit during each year.

1996

The first visit of type occured in the closing days of the year when the Manchester Crossair Basle schedule CRX880, operated by HB-IZW, diverted to Liverpool due to weather at Manchester, landing Liverpool at 0935. It left on CRX881 at 1222 to return to Basle.

1997

It was not long before Crossair were back on two further diverted flights. On 28th January HB-IZB diverted in on the morning CRX880 Basle schedule. Left on CRX881 returning to Basle. This was the same day as Manchester fog brought an Air Hong Kong Jumbo freighter into Liverpool.

A few months later a minor aircraft mishap closed Manchester for several hours. One of the aircraft diverting into Liverpool was the evening Crossair Basle flight CRX886/7 operated by HB-IZA.

1998-2004

There then followed 7 years without a visit by a single Saab 2000.

2005

Swiss brought Saab 2000 HB -IZJ to transport Liverpool FC to Basle for a pre-season friendly. Also in the same year Eastern Airlines brought in G-CDKA. With 50 seats and fast cruising speed the Saab 2000 proved to be an ideal size for Premiership football teams travelling with a full back-up team of coaches, physios and management.

2006

On 13th January Eastern's G-CDKA appeared again, this time f&t Southampton taking Everton FC outbound for a match against Portsmouth. On 4th February G-CDEB brought Everton FC home from an FA Cup replay against Chelsea, routing Heathrow to Aberdeen. On 4th July G-CDKA transported Everton FC again,this time outbound for a pre-season game, routing Humberside to Exeter. They returned on 7th July on G-CDEA, with the aircraft routing Exeter to Humberside.

2007

Five out of the Eastern Airways fleet of six Saab 2000s visited on charter flights. G-CDEA, G-CDKA. G-CDKB, D-AOLA/G-CERY & G-CERZ.

2008

The same five Saab 2000s of Eastern visited during 2008.

In January Everton FC few down to London on Mon 7th routing Humberside-Heathrow on G-CDKB, returning with a return reverse routing in the early hours on Wed 9th. In February EFC used Eastern for flights to Norway to play SK Brann in the UEFA Cup. G-CDKA on Tues 12th Norwich-Bergen, with G-CDEA in the early hours of Thurs 14th Bergen-Einhoven.

With Portsmouth FC G-CDKA returned on Sat 1st March departing the next morning, f&t Southampton. For a later round of the UEFA Cup, Everton were drawn against Fiorentina. G-CERY transported EFC, the aircraft routing outbound Wed 5th March Aberdeen-Florence mid morning and on 7th Florence-Farnborough around lunch time.
G-CERZ on 29th April brought in a charter from Dublin, positioning onto Aberdeen. The passengers returned to Dublin the next day on an ATR-42 of Aer Arann.

The new footaball season brought Fulham upto Liverpool twice, using G-CDEA on 31st October and 21st November. On both occasions night stopping at Liverpool and routing Farnborough to London/Gatwick.

2009
Already this year Everton have used Eastern Saab 2000s to transport them to or from away games. On 20th March G-CDEA transported EFC to Southampton for a league game against Portsmouth, return to Liverpool on 21st used the same aircraft. On 18th April G-CERZ took EFC to Luton for their FA Cup Semi Final against MUFC at Wembley. A journey repeated before the Wembley FA Cup Final against Chelsea. Operated Thursday 28th May by G-CDEB, outbound to Luton. Everton returned to Liverpool in greater style on a Titan Boeing 757 despite being losers. The next season has seen Everton flying to an away game at Portsmouth, G-CDKB routed Nice-Southampton Thu 24.9 and G-CFLV Southampton-Norwich on Sat 26.9 evening.

German operator OLT made an appearance on Friday 3rd July with a charter from & to Hamburg, departing Sunday evening 5th, operated by Saab 2000 D-AOLC.

The inaugral Aberdeen-Liverpool-Southampton & return service on Monday 6th July was operated by G-CDKA, later the same day G-CERY positioned in to operate a flight out to Dundee (a Jetstream 41 brought the pax back a few days later). The morning flights operate Monday to Friday, and during July 7 of the fleet were used: G-CDEA, CDKA, CDKB, CERY, CERZ, CFLU & CFLV. So all 8 aircraft in the fleet have visited this year, which together with the OLT aircraft makes a record 9 different aircraft so far in 2009.

Eastern's fleet for summer 2009 stands at 8 Saab 2000 aircraft: G-CDEA, G-CDEB, G-CDKA, G-CDKB, G-CERY, G-CERZ and two winter 08/09 acquisitions G-CFLU and G-CFLV. All have appeared through Liverpool on scheduled flights.

So for 2009 a record of 9 different Saab 2000 aircraft appeared at LJLA, well up on 5 in both 2007 & 2008.

2010

During 2010 all 8 of the Eastern Saab 2000s appeared at Liverpool on the Southampton to Aberdeen schedule. There were also a few appearances on football charters. No other Saab 2000 called at Liverpool during the year.

2011
Of the 8 Eastern Airways examples, 6 visited during January. However during February, a change in timetable removed the Saab 2000 from the Liverpool schedule, although the frequency of service on the Southampton to Aberdeen routes remained the same, but just using Jetstream 41 equipment. The routes being cut altogether at the end of July 2011.

All 8 of the Eastern Saab 2000s visited during 2011 on the schedules early in the year, then on ad-hoc charters mainly on behalf of football clubs. For the record the 8 aircraft were: G-CDEA/B, G-CDKA/B, G-CERY/Z, G-CFLU/V. No other airlines brought a Saab 2000 into Liverpool during the year.

2012
First Eastern Saab 2000 charter of the year was in January, in the very early hours of Thursday 12th, when G-CDKA brought Everton FC home from Stansted, the aircraft later positioning out to Norwich. On Friday March 2nd G-CFLU brought in a charter from Stavanger for a weekend in Liverpool, including LFC v Arsenal FC. They returned home on G-CFLU again, Sunday evening. On Good Friday, 6th April G-CERY arrived to take Everton FC out to a Premiership match at Norwich. G-CDKB also operated into LJLA during the year, making 4 out of the fleet of 8 visiting in 2012.

Visits by Saab 2000s in 2013 onwards are covered a further post further down this thread.

[viscount]

Having researched both the Jetstream 41 and the Saab 2000, the timeline of the two types is remarkably similar.

The 50 seater Saab 2000 is a twin turboprop regional airliner, produced to compete for market share with the ATR-42, Fokker 50, DHC Dash 8-300 and even the Embraer EMB-145.

Powered by two Allison (now Rolls Royce) AE-2100 turboshafts which provide an economy cruise speed of 665km/h (360kt), which put the Saab 2000 into competition with regional jets!

The Saab 2000 is a greatly stretched development of the Saab 340 using the same wing structure although the span was increased by 15%. Development was launched mid December 1988, with the prototype making the type's first flight on 26th March 1992. Certification followed March 1994 with EJAA and April 1994 with US FAA. Deliveries soon followed to major customer Crossair of Switzerland.

Saab 2000s were produced only between 1994 and 1999, with a total of only 63 being completed. Quoting a lack of sales and profitability, Saab decided during 1998 to bring an end to production of both the 340 and 2000, with the final Saab 2000 being delivered to a customer April 1999. The vast majority of aircraft built are still in service today.

[Andy L]

HB-IZJ arriving at Liverpool on 18th July 2005.

[khardwk]

I well remember my first flight on a Saab 2000. It was with Crossair from Manchester to Basle. I was amazed how quiet it was in the cabin during flight, far, far quieter that the smaller, and older, Saab 340. Without doubt it was the quietest propeller driven aircraft I have ever travelled in.

I travelled many times in the Manx 340 between Liverpool and Heathrow and despite trying hard could never convince myself that it was a pleasant aircraft to fly in.

The MAN:Basle flight was in the good old days when visits to the flight deck were quite regular. When I said to the crew how amazed I was at the quietness inside the cabin during all aspects of flight, especially compared with its older sibling 340, they agreed immediately. They said the quietness was the commonest comment made by passengers to them about the aircraft and that they too had been similarly very impressed when they first flew it.

They went on to explain how the 2000 had an "acoustically tuned fuselage", where certain components were structurally built-in to act, through their own vibration, a noise canceling effect. I understand it is rather like the noise canceling ability of certain advanced headphones which can cancel out unwanted/background noises, producing "cleaned" sound, and to the human ear, silence- or something like that.

Anyway it certainly works and bodes well for passengers using the new Eastern Saab 2000 on journeys to Aberdeen and Southampton from Liverpool. Give it a try and see what you think about noise levels or should I say quietness levels?

[viscount]

A couple of LJLA shots of Eastern Airways Saab 2000s in the period mid 2009 to early 2011.

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28th May 2009, G-CDEB outbound to Luton at 1406 with Everton FC for an away match.



6th July 2009, G-CDKA on first day of scheduled service linking Aberdeen-Liverpool-Southampton and return.



13th August 2009, G-CDEA on the scheduled service.



25th September 2009, G-CDKB ready to depart 27.



9th December 2009, G-CDEA landing a fine sunny day



9th April 2010, G-CDEB.



1st February 2011, G-CDKA.

[viscount]

Sunday 4th March 2012, G-CFLU positioned to Liverpool during the afternoon to collect a party of Norwegian LFC supporters and take them home, after a weekend in Liverpool which included watching an important Premiership game LFC v Arsenal FC.

[Beemer]

G-CDKA with "Aberdeen scheme"arriving 01-03-2008

G-CDKA Saab 2000 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

G-CDEB arriving 08-10-2009

G-CDEB Saab 2000 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

[Beemer]

A few more Saab 2000's in plain and colourful schemes.

ES-NSF was the first Saab 2000 to visit LPL in the guise of HB-IZW in 1996.


ES-NSF Saab2000 NyxAir 2022 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

G-CDKA in Eastern scheme

G-CDKA Saab 2000 2010 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

G-CDKA painted in BA livery

G-CDKA S2000 2016 by Beemer328i, on Flickr


G-CIEC Saab 2000 Eastern Airways 2019 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

HB-IZP painted in the Etihad Regional scheme

HB-IZP Saab 2000 Etihad Regional 2015 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

SE-LTV of FlygBra.SE visited in 2016. The last Saab 2000 to be built. 1999. c/n 2000-063

SE-LTV Saab 2000 FlygBra 2016 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

[viscount]

To provide more details around the images posted above, this thread is being brought up to date, continuing on from the 2009 (updated 2012) thread opening post, which covers all Saab 2000 visits in that time period. Images once distorted by Photobucket's watermark have been replaced (or in one case needs a fresh replacement as the member is no longer current). Feel free to share any further shots of Saab 2000s at Liverpool.

Saab 2000 aircraft visits to John Lennon Airport continued: 2012 to date (early 2023)

2013

Surprisingly, no Saab 2000 visited John Lennon Airport in the year 2013.

2014

Three of Eastern Airways (EZE) fleet of Saab 2000s visited during 2014 no charter flights. On Sunday 13th July G-GDKA operated a charter, from and to Aberdeen. A week later and G-CFLU operated a day-return charter from Prestwick for the final day of the Golf Open at Hoylake, so maybe the charter a week earlier was golf related too. In early September an Eastern Saab 2000 was chartered to bring LFC fans from Stavanger for a match-break city stay week-end. G-CFLV arrived from Stavanger on Friday 26th September, the passengers returning to Stavanger on Sunday evening on the same aircraft.

2015

Just the one visit by a Saab 2000 in 2015, but an interesting one. HB-IZP operated by Darwin Airlines (DWT) brought in Sion FC supporters on Wednesday 30th September, the aircraft was in full Etihad Regional scheme having recently returned of lease. After the match with LFC at Anfield, the supporters flew home Friday morning on a Dash 8-300 of InterSky.

2016

A reasonably busy year, bringing in no less than 9 different Saab 2000s on charter flights, including 3 Swedish registered examples. First of the year was Eastern Airways with G-CFLU with Sunderland FC inbound on Friday 2nd February, the aircraft returning to take them home after the match. The following month, on Tuesday 22nd March, a Saab Aviation operated Saab 2000 SE-LRA arrived in the late afternoon, departing the following early evening, operating from and to Ostersund/Froson. On Wednesday 6th July flygBRA (Braathens Regional)(BOB) used SE-MFF to bring in AIK Solna FC from Gothenburg for a European match. The aircraft positioned out. On Friday afternoon flygBRA's SE-LTV appeared and departed for Copenhagen with AIK Solna FC.

The next two appearances by Saab 2000s were due to poor visibility/sea fog at Ronaldsway, IoM on Cityflyer/British Airways scheduled service between London City and Isle of Man. On Thursday 28th August it was G-CDKA that diverted in mid evening in full British Airways scheme, taking it's passenger onward to the Isle of Man the next morning. While on Wednesday 7th September it was G-CDEB that diverted in mid afternoon and continued to the Isle of Man after an hour on the ground.

For the Duke of Westminster's Memorial service mourners from his Scottish properties arrived on Eastern's G-CFLV. However when then came to fly home the aircraft was declared 'tech' - they were 'rescued' the following morning by a City Jet RJ-85.

On Sunday 6th November Eastern's G-CERY called to transport Watford FC home via Luton after a Premiership game at Anfield. On Wed 14th December G-CFLV was in use, this time for Newcastle FC who arrived in the morning and departed late the same evening after a match. On Friday 16th December G-CIEC, now all white with Eastern titles arrived early evening on a charter from Stansted. Like a football team charter, but it would appear at the time that we never worked out which club was being transported!

In 2016 the number of different aircraft visiting in a calendar year, equalled the record of 9 aircraft set in 2009.

2017

A quieter year for seeing Saab 2000s at JLA. Indeed it was not until 23rd September that the first appeared, G-CERZ which collected Bournemouth Fc after an afternoon fixture. On Friday 27th, all white G-CDEB arrived on a diverted Flybe flight from Glasgow, diverting to JLA due to low visibility at Manchester. After over 4 hours on the ground, the aircraft positioned across to Manchester. The weather on Friday 8th December caused G-CDKA on a BA Cityflyer service on a flight London City to Isle of Man to divert in to JLA, the passengers being flown onward to their intended destination the following morning.

2018

Many of the visits by Saab 2000 aircraft during 2018 were charters carrying sports teams. On Wednesday 17th January G-CIEC brought in AFC Bournemouth to play Wigan, then took them home again after the match. On Friday 2nd March, G-CERZ it was Newcastle United to meet LFC at Anfield, while on Monday 23rd April it was G-CDKB that transported them to and from EFC fixture at Goodison. The 2018/19 football season brought om Cardiff City on Friday 23rd November to face Everton - Cardiff flew home on an Eastern ERJ-145. Newcastle United feature again on Tuesday 4th December to and from an EFC fixture at Goodison and on Wednesday 26th December flying home from a Boxing Day fixture with LFC at Anfield - these flights utilising G-CERZ.

A further sports team charter took out one of the NW's rugby teams to Perpignan early on Sunday 9th, returning late in the evening after the match.

Flybe used Eastern Saab 2000 G-CERY as a replacement type for one of their Dash Eights on the Belfast City - Liverpool service on Sunday 25th and Monday 26th March. While on a private charter G-CIEC took employees via collecting further employees at Farnborough to meetings in France on Wednesday 10th October, bringing them home the following evening. A occasional charter, which on other occasions was operated by ERJ-145s.

2019

Just 3 visits during the year, all charters by football teams. On Friday 11th January Eastern's G-CIEC, now all white and without titles, brought in Swansea City for their match the following day at Preston NE. They did not fly home from Liverpool. On Saturday 19th September G-CERZ collected Newcastle FC after an Anfield match. While on Friday 1st November Swansea FC arrived on G-CERZ en route to play Wigan. They flew home on an Eastern ERJ-145 from Liverpool.

2020 & 2021

No visits by Saab 2000s to John Lennon Airport.

2022

Just the one visit during the year. Nyxair (NYX) of Estonia, using ES-NSF with a one hour visit during the morning of Monday 11th July routing from Billund to Brussels. By sheer co-incidence this, the most recent visit by the type, is the very same airframe, that as HB-IZW made the first visit by type to John Lennon back in 1996.

2023

Nothing in the first few months of the year so far.


A total of 17 different Saabs (with 19 different registrations) have passed through Liverpool between December 1996 and February 2023, as shown in the annual lists above:

D-AOLA, D-AOLC
ES-NSF
G-CDEA, G-CDEB, G-CDKA, G-CDKB, G-CERY, G-CERZ, G-CFLU & G-CFLV.
HB-IZA, HB-IZB, HB-IZJ, HB-IZP & HB-IZW.
SE-LRA, SE-LTV, SE-MFF


Of these D-AOLA and G-CERY were the same airframe; as is HB-IZW and ES-NSF.


Quite a good photo coverage of the various schemes on Eastern Airways aircraft, plus a few others. Anyone able to add shots of the Crossair aircraft in 1996 and 1997 or Swiss in 2005 (in which case I can delete the final watermarked image on this thread)?

[Airbus A346]

SE-LRA Saab 2000 Saab Aviation parked on stand 40, Tuesday 22nd March 2016 .......

SE-LRA by MARTIN CHELL, on Flickr

THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY NOT BE USED ELSEWHERE WITHOUT MY CONSENT!

[robaero]

Quick question guys, did Loganair ever operate their SAAB 2000`s into Liverpool say on Football charters or on diversion from Manchester ?

[viscount]

Not to my knowledge. There are a couple of occasions when Eastern Saab 2000s appeared on diversion or as a substitute type on Flybe services, as recorded above. On diversion 27th October 2017 when operating a Flybe Glasgow-Manchester service and on 25th and 26th March 2018 as a substitute aircraft type (for a Dash-8) on their Belfast City to John Lennon service. I've just very quickly checked through my 2014-2022 movements spreadsheet and in that period at least quite certainly no Saab 2000 was recorded operating into Liverpool using 'LOG' (or LG or LM) call-sign/flight number. Can't say that I ever recall Loganair having Saab 2000s.

I'll be honest and admit, that when I typed the 2018 entry two days ago, I did say that Belfast Harbour substitute flights were on behalf of Loganair. A detail I knew was wrong the moment I re-read the entry a few moments ago and have since confirmed as absolute rubbish; in 2018 it was Flybe's service (and ended in December of that year). Loganair have used their Saab 340s into Liverpool as a substitute type very occasionally over past years. These are noted only by year and registration (G-LNG· sequence) on: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/31292/saab-340-2000-liverpool-airport

[Beemer]

G-CERY Saab 2000 06-04-2012 by Beemer328i, on Flickr