On February 23, it has been announced by the TCCA, that the Saab 2000 has been granted its Canadian passenger certification.
This article will delve into a bit about the Saab 2000s Canadian passenger certification process as well as the aircraft’s operational statistics as to why it is a good fit for the harsh Canadian conditions.
Saab 2000 for Canadian Passenger Use
Marking yet another historic moment for the Canadian aviation sector, the Saab 2000s certification may be the beginning of a new era for some of Canada’s regional services, especially to those more rural locations in areas such as the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
As part of the Saab 2000s certification within Canada, the aircraft has had to undergo very thorough and airframe-stressful conditions.
One condition, in particular, is where the aircraft has to be able to successfully startup with fully operational systems after night where the harsh Canadian winters can have temperatures dropping below -35 degrees celsius, or -31 Fahrenheit.
This particular condition was tested in Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. The aircraft and crew had to spend quite a few days in Yellowknife as they had to wait around for the temperatures to drop low enough for a successful testing condition to be met. Needless to say, the Saab 2000 passed with flying colors.
The Saab 2000 will be ideal for operation within Canada, with having the ability to carry between 50 and 58 passengers, a maximum operating range of 1,549 nautical miles or 2,869 kilometers, and a maximum service ceiling of 31,000 feet.
Two of Roll-Royce AE 2100P Turboprop engines power the Saab 2000 capable of generating up to 4,152 horsepower each. These reliable engines, coupled with a low-drag airframe have meant that the Saab 2000 is the world record holder climbing from 0 to 9,000 meters in just eight minutes and one second.
Executive Comments…
Commenting on the Saab 2000s Canadian passenger certification, Jetstream Aviation Capital’s Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Klaskin says, “The certification of the Saab 2000 in Canada is a further step in the continued expansion of this great aircraft’s global resurgence, in which Jetstream and Saab have been partners for many years.”
“The Saab 2000 is uniquely suited to operations in Canada, given the distances between populations which are mitigated by its high-speed performance, very efficient operational economics, ability to operate from challenging airfield environments, and outstanding cold-weather operational capabilities.”
“We look forward to introducing the aircraft to Canada in the near future and expect to announce the first customer commitment in the upcoming months” concluded Klaskin.
Overall…
It is great to see yet another highly-capable regional turboprop be granted certification to operate passenger services throughout Canada.
The aircraft’s exceptional performance and ruggedness should prove to be a huge benefit to the Canadian aviation sector, as well as help to further reduce their carbon footprint, given most rural Canadian operators still utilize various old turboprop aircraft.
