Estonian Air Leases Two Saab 340 Aircraft

Released on Thursday, April 05, 2007

Estonian Airlines, the national carrier of the Republic of Estonia and part of the SAS Group, has signed a contract with Saab Aircraft Leasing for the lease of two Saab 340s. The aircraft will join its fleet in May and September to commence scheduled flights from the airline�s Tallinn Airport base.

The Saab 340s will replace Estonian Airlines larger 50-seat Fokker 50s and become the mainstay complement to the airline�s six-strong Boeing 737-500 fleet.

"Estonia has a number of new regional routes to develop, and currently we are studying up to 23 destinations. St Petersburg will be the first market to be developed, historically a significant market for the country" said Estonian Airlines Managing Director B�rge Thornbech.

Welcoming Estonian as a customer, Saab Aircraft Leasing's Senior Vice President Dag Waldenstrom commented: "We very much look forward to delivering these aircraft into Estonia and working closely with B�rge and his team. We are especially pleased Estonian will be flying the Saab 340 to Stockholm Arlanda Airport with a new link from Saaremaa in the Baltic Islands.

Last year Estonian Airlines carried some 689,800 passengers to a total of 17 destinations and held a 45% market share at its Tallinn Airport base.

Saab Aircraft Leasing manages a portfolio of about 200 Saab 340 and Saab 2000 aircraft leased to 25 airlines around the world. With 35 employees, its head-office is in Washington, DC and regional offices in Stockholm Sweden and Tokyo Japan.