Jessica Bannister-Pearce heads to Linköping to find out how the Swedish manufacturer is supporting its flagship airliner, the Saab 2000, which remains ever popular despite having been out of production for two decades.
The Saab 2000 may have been out of production for almost two decades, but it has made an indelible mark on the commercial aviation sector. Fondly referred to as ‘Concordino’, the aircraft is more than a mere stretch of the Saab 340, combining an extended fuselage with more powerful engines, an impressively quiet cabin and an advanced glass cockpit.
Airbus and Boeing aside, there are few companies in the world that are as synonymous with aviation as Saab. Created in 1937, the Swedish manufacturer is perhaps best known today for its extensive aerostructures, systems and engineering offerings (the firm is a tier-one supplier to both Airbus and Boeing, producing a variety of components for the two aerospace powerhouses). It does, however, have a rich pedigree in producing its own aircraft, with a portfolio of types spanning from the World War Two-era Saab 17 bomber to the cutting-edge Gripen multirole fighter.
The company has always marched to the beat of its own drum, devising innovative s…
