In the 1980’s when I started with Saab, there was that unique and current connection between Saab automobiles, Saab aircraft and Scania trucks and busses. Then things got broken up and only the Saab name and country of origin were shared. Still, beyond the Saab fighter jets with sexy names, the airplane I most identify with Saab is the 340. They were somewhat distinctive, and their turbo-prop engines seemed anachronistic for our time in planes of that size, 30-36 seats.
I noted, whenever flying, that when reading the airline magazines, which all listed the planes they had in service in the last pages, that the 340 had disappeared from view, at least areas that I traveled. Having gone out of production in the late 1990s, and where I had read that 340s were starting to pile up in aviation grave yards, I was surprised to see an article today in netnewsledger.com , which services Thunder Bay and Northern Ontario, that Bearskin Airlines is adding a 34 seat 340 to their fleet, and plans a second for the fall. Nice to see the 340 again!
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