Saab 340B

Judge Dredd 🇦🇺

20 Apr 2026 · © Judge Dredd

Regional Express Saab 340B (VH-ZLQ) climbing out under clear blue skies – a hardworking Aussie regional classic.

1 / 3

2 likes 2 comments

Comments (2)

Siliconserver · 20 Apr 2026

Brilliant!

Kiwi Aviation · 20 Apr 2026

Beautiful capture!

More like this

Aircraft

340B SF34

Regional Express (REX) standard livery

VH-ZLQ

Registration

Airline

rex. Regional Express

RXA / ZL

Manufacturer

Saab

Gear

FUJIFILM X-S10 XC 50-230mm F4.5-6.7 OIS II

Achievements

Turboprop Tracker, Rare Bird, Vintage Voyager

3 badges earned

Location

Shep’s Mound

Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport · SYD/YSSY

-33.9461, 151.1770

Open map

Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport SYD

Airport

Insights

Aviation History

The Saab 340 is a Swedish twin-engine turboprop aircraft primarily used for regional commercial service, widely used in the 1980s and 1990s, and remains an important part of regional airline fleets in Australia.

Fleet Rarity

Regional Express operates one of the largest fleets of Saab 340s in the world; the type is becoming less common globally but still active in Australia.

Record Flights

Commonly operates short regional routes in Australia, up to around 2 hours in duration.

Safety & Events

Generally a safe and reliable aircraft; has experienced a few incidents related to landing gear and birdstrikes, but otherwise well-regarded.

Future Outlook

Still in active service with REX as of 2024, but being gradually retired by some airlines worldwide.

Specifications

General Electric CT7-9B turboprop

Engine

21.44 meters

Wingspan

19.73 meters

Length

1,700 kilometers

Range

467 km/h

Speed

34 passengers

Capacity

13,155 kilograms

MTOW

6.97 meters

Height

1,870 shp (shaft horsepower) per engine

Thrust

Stage 3 ICAO (approx. 89-95 dB depending on configuration)

Noise