EI-CFD "St. Senan" - Saab 340 - Aer Lingus Commuter

Built: 1991
S/N: 257
Status: Active

Operations:

EI-CFD like its sister ships was a straight out of production purchase by Aer Lingus for its Commuter fleet flying short domestic and UK hops. It also left the airline 4 years after its purchase in 1995. Like 2 of its 3 sister ships it ended up being sold to Detroit-based Northwest Airlink flying regional hops around small US cities as N257PX.

Our aircraft spent nearly exactly 1 year at Northwest Airlink before being sold to Australian carrier Kendell Airlines in 1996 as VH-EKX. It was best in South-East Australia, flying regularly from both Sydney and Melbourne to smaller destinations. The aircraft remained in Kendell until the company was merged with Hazelton Airlines.

The merger of Kendell Airlines and Hazelton Airlines resulted in what is now Australia's biggest regional airline outside the Qantas group, Regional Air Express, or as its more commonly known, REX. Thankfully, the aircraft remains there today as part of a thriving fleet of Saab 340s in Australia. The airline currently operates 50 Saab 340s flying to destinations throughout Australia, so the future is bright for our old aircraft in Australia, 19 years after its arrival there.

EI-CFC "St. Finbarr" - Saab 340 - Aer Lingus Commuter

Built: 1991
S/N: 255
Status:Active

Operations:

Like its sister ships CFA,CFB and CFD, CFC began life as an Aer Lingus Commuter Saab 340A, coming straight off the production line to Ireland. Unfortunately however it too was removed from the fleet in 1995.

EI-CDC left Aer Lingus and joined Finnaviation, a now defunct Finnish commuter carrier with a fleet solely made up of Saab 340s. In Finnaviation it took up the registration OH-FAH and sported Santa Claus across its side for a time, promoting the "home" of Santa Claus, Rovaniemi in Northern Finland.

The aircraft didn't last long in Finland, in fact two years later it made its way across the Baltic to start its new life as LY-SBB, operated by Lithuania Airlines. It began its time there in May 1997 and remained there until October 2002, in which time it flew mostly to Eastern and Northern European destinations including its old home in Helsinki. 

In 2002, our aircraft joined its sister ships once more, CFA and CFB in Mexico with Aerolitoral as XA-TTW. It remained in Aerolitoral colours until 2007 when the airline changed to Aeromexico Connect. 

When Aeromexico Connect began moving to an all-jet, all-Embraer fleet, our aircraft too got the chop. Thankfully though it was then bought by Thai airline Happy Air to be the airline's one and only aircraft. The aircraft remains there today as HS-HPA, Over 20 years after its construction and still going strong proving to be the backbone once again of an airline. The airline and aircraft are based in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi where it operates scheduled services to 2 domestic cities as well as charter services. 

EI-CFB "St. Aoife" - Saab 340 - Aer Lingus Commuter

First Flight: May 1991
S/N: 251
Current Status: Stored

Operations:

EI-CFB began its life as an Aer Lingus Commuter aircraft doing short domestic hops across Ireland and to regional airports in the UK.

It spent about 4 years in Ireland before being sold to Detroit based Northwest Airlink in 1995 to join one of the largest Saab 340 fleets in the world at that time. It took on the new US registration N251PX.

Then after just a year in Northwest, the aircraft was once again sold. This time to Aerotaca Colombia in September 1996 and became HK-4088X.

In December 1999 however, the aircraft was on the move again. This time to Mexico to Aerolitoral (later to become Aeromexico Connect). It spent 5 years in Mexico as XA-TQO doing domestic hops around Mexico while making the odd trip to the border cities of Texas and Arizona. 

After its stint in Mexico it was time for S/N 251 to head back stateside and it was bought by American Commuter airline Colgan Air which operated as Continental Express and later as United Express post-merger. The aircraft was registered N251CJ in its time at Colgan Air and was primarily based in Washington Dulles and Houston where it once flew in as XA-TQO. The aircraft remained at Colgan Air until its operations were shut down in 2012 and all its assets were transferred to other United Express subsidiaries. Unfortunately for our aircraft, the end was nigh, and the aircraft was placed into storage where it has remained for the past 3 years.

Below is a photo of the aircraft in its last operational scheme.

EI-BED "St. Kieran" - Boeing 747-100 - Aer Lingus

Built: 1970
C/N: 19748/44
Operations:
Aircraft was built in 1970 and started service with Lufthansa as D-ABYC, named "Bayern".

In 1979 the aircraft was sold to ITEL Corporation and leased to Aer Lingus, re-registered EI-BED. The aircraft arrived with Aer Lingus in January and stayed there until October the same year. Originally it was named St. Kieran and then changed to St. Patrick.

In October 1979, the aircraft was leased to Air Algerie maintaining its registration and operating in Aer Lingus colours with Air Algerie stickers. In April, 1980 the aircraft was returned to Aer Lingus.

In November 1986, the aircraft was leased to Air Jamaica and remained there until April 1987. Again it remained in Aer Lingus livery with Air Jamaica stickers.

Again the aircraft was returned to Aer Lingus in April, 1987. In November of the same year the aircraft was leased to Qantas and remained there until Feburary 1988 in Aer Lingus livery.

Aircraft was leased to LAN Chile in December, 1988 and stayed there until March, 1990.

The aircraft was then returned to Aer Lingus and operated under lease until April, 1993. In that month the aircraft was sold to Aer Lingus from GATX who owned the aircraft at the time. It operated its final revenue service on the 5th of October 1994.

The aircraft was ferried to Marana in Feburary 1995 after 5 months in storage in Dublin. It stayed there and was sold to Westco International in  July 1996 and the same month was sold to Jetaway Aviation Services. Directly after that it was stricken from the Irish Register. Scrapage of the aircraft began in August 1996.

The aircraft was photographed in 1997 at Manara.

Naturally the aircraft was scrapped here. From here it seems that the aircraft was taken apart and used for parts. The cockpit section was seen in 2003 in Tucson (Ironically, the city that the aircraft transited through to get to Manara).

EI-BSP "St. Senan" - Shorts 360 - Aer Lingus Commuter

Built: 1986
C/N: SH3689
Operations:
This aircraft began life in 1986 as G-BMLD with Shorts.
The aircraft was sold in the same year to Aer Lingus Commuter as EI-BSP and operated at Aer Lingus until July 1991 when it was sold to SAAB Aircraft Credit, a leasing firm from Sweden.
The aircraft was re-registered G-UBAC when it was sold to SAAB. 
Its first lease customer was Streamline Aviation which was based in the UK and began operations in 1990, ending in 2003 when it was incorporated into Emerald Airways. The aircraft remained part of the Streamline Fleet until October 1993.
In October 1993 the aircraft was then leased to Holmstroem Air of Sweden. The aircraft remained there for 2 years until October 1995 when it was returned to the lessor and the airline was renamed Direktflyg.

In the same month the aircraft was sold to BAC Leasing and operated with BAC Express with its old registration G-UBAC. The aircraft operated here until the 24th of Feburary 1998.

On the same day the aircraft was sold to Bombardier Services Corporation and was shipped off to Bridgeport, West Virginia. Here the aircraft was converted into the military Shorts C28B Sherpa. The aircraft spend 2 years undergoing the conversion and finally in October 2000 it was rolled out.

The aircraft was then released to the US Army's Air National Guard as 94-0314. The aircraft was first based with the Florida ANG and in 2009 was transferred to the Kentucky ANG. Today the aircraft is still flying as part of the Kentucky ANG and was photographed last year as part of the Rhode Island Airshow (see below). A great end to the story of this 26 year old bird!

EI-BPD "St. Gall" - Shorts 360 - Aer Lingus Commuter

Built: 1984
C/N: SH3656
Operations:
Began life with Shorts as G-BLPU in 1984
In the same year it was sold to Aer Lingus Commuter and operated there until the arrival of the Saab 340 in 1991.
Next known Airline was Gill Airlines where it was operated as G-RMCT.

The aircraft originally operated domestic routes with Gill in a Gill/Aer Lingus Hybrid livery until being painted as seen above. The aircraft stayed with Gill until 1998/99.
In 2000 the aircraft was sold back to Ireland, this time with Aer Arann and took its old registration EI-BPD.

On Feburary 4th 2001 on arrival to Sheffield from Dublin the aircraft veered off the runway and into the grass. Sadly the aircraft was written off. The Accident Report can be found here: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20010204-0

However this was not the end of EI-BPD. After the accident she spent a number of years in Sheffield before being stripped off its wings, engines and gear and being transported by road to Leeds Bradford to be used as a Fire Trainer. The last record I can find of the aircraft being at Leeds is in 2004 but if you have visited Leeds or are need Leeds and have some information please email me at eoincoates@hotmail.com.