Saab 340B Turboprops See Unlikely Resurgence

Saab 340 turboprops, which have been out of production since 1999, saw increased global utilization in 2022 and specialist companies are seeing an uptick in demand for the type.

U.S.-based regional MRO specialist C&L Aviation Group, which has worked on Saab 340s for over 25 years, has just redelivered the last of seven Saab 340B cargo conversions to U.S. express freight operator Legends Airways.

Aviation Week Network’s Tracked Aircraft Utilization tool reveals the global Saab 340 family fleet performed 12% more average monthly flight hours in 2022 than in 2019, even with 20 fewer aircraft in operation. The increased utilization was partly driven by the growing number of converted freighters in service.

“In all my years dealing in the Saab 340 aircraft I have never seen demand for this aircraft at current levels,” C&L Aviation Group CEO Chris Kilgour says.

Over the past two years, C&L has sold over 20 Saab 340s, including aircraft previously operated by Japan Air Commuter (JAC) and Japan’s Hokkaido Air System (HAC). Kilgour said there has been increased interest from both passenger and cargo operators, particularly in the Saab 340B variant.

“This has led to most parked Saab aircraft being restored to service. With so many customers asking for aircraft and there being low availability, the market dynamics have changed. Demand has outstripped supply, resulting in increased sale prices for the Saab,” Kilgour says.

Saab 340s have gained popularity in the passenger-to-freighter conversion market. The Saab 340B+ has capacity for 1,280 ft.³ of cargo, with a max payload of 9,325 lb.

The global fleet —counting all Saab 340 variants—currently stands at 258 aircraft. The only operator with more than 10 of the type is Australian regional airline Rex, which in December had 52 Saab 340Bs and one Saab 340A in service.

C&L Aviation Group says it completed the world’s first Saab 340B+ cargo conversion at its Maine MRO facility in 2021, using an EASA- and FAA-approved conversion kit provided by Sweden-based MRO Täby Air Maintenance (TAM).