The Saab 2000 is a high-speed, twin-engine turboprop regional airliner, developed as a stretched and more powerful version of the Saab 340. It was designed to compete with regional jets by offering jet-like speed with the fuel efficiency of a turboprop.

✈️ Overview:

• Role: Regional airliner / multi-role military platform
• Manufacturer: Saab AB (Sweden)
• First flight: March 26, 1992
• Introduced: 1994
• Production ended: 1999
• Total built: 63 aircraft

🛠️ Key Specs:

• Engines: 2 × Rolls-Royce Allison AE 2100A turboprops (4,591 shp each)
• Cruise speed: 370 knots (425 mph / 670 km/h) – fastest turboprop airliner ever built
• Range: ~1,300–2,000 nautical miles (depending on configuration)
• Service ceiling: 31,000 ft (9,450 m)
• Passenger capacity: Up to 58 passengers
• Crew: 2 pilots + cabin crew
• Cabin: Pressurized

🔍 Design Features:

• Stretched fuselage – Based on Saab 340, but significantly longer
• Highly swept propeller blades – Special 6-bladed Dowty-Rotol props for lower noise and higher speed
• High cruise altitude and fast climb rate
• Advanced avionics – For the time, it had a glass cockpit and digital flight systems
• Quiet for a turboprop – Cabin designed for comfort and noise reduction

🧳 Use Cases:

• Initially targeted regional airlines needing jet-like speed but lower operating costs
• Later adapted for military and special mission roles, including: Airborne early warning (AEW&C) Maritime patrol Electronic intelligence (ELINT)
  • Airborne early warning (AEW&C)
  • Maritime patrol
  • Electronic intelligence (ELINT)
• Still used by Swiss, Pakistan, and Saudi air forces for airborne surveillance

❌ Why It Didn’t Succeed Commercially:

• Entered market as regional jets (like the CRJ and ERJ) took over
• High-performance turboprops were less attractive to airlines as fuel prices were lower in the '90s
• More expensive to build and maintain than competing regional jets
• Saab exited commercial aircraft production in 1999

✅ Strengths:

• Fastest turboprop airliner ever
• Excellent high-altitude and short-field performance
• Efficient and reliable
• Very capable in military adaptations – especially the Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C

🛫 Legacy:

While only 63 were built, the Saab 2000 has a cult following in aviation circles due to its unique blend of speed, performance, and efficiency. Today, most remaining aircraft serve in:

• Military/surveillance roles
• Private/charter operators
• Niche regional airlines