A specialist aviation services provider based at East Midlands Airport has invested in a new plane.
RVL Group, which operates out of the Castle Donington airport, on the Leicestershire/Derbyshire border, has taken delivery of a Saab 340B(F) cargo aircraft.
The 65ft long Saab 340 was designed to seat 30-36 passengers but can also be adapted for cargo use. The 340B can carry 3.4 tonnes of cargo.
The aircraft – serial number 340B-223 – is the first to be delivered under an agreement between RVL and leasing company Jetstream Aviation Capital.
It will be used for one-off cargo charters and for RVL’s operations on behalf of major international logistics customers.
The firm operates and maintains its own fleet of aircraft, providing a range of services for private and public sector clients.
That includes aerial surveillance and survey, passenger and cargo ad-hoc and long-term charter, temporary and permanent aircraft modifications for project work and aerial spraying of pollution dispersants.
Managing director Dave Connor said: “Everyone at RVL is enormously excited by the prospect of operating the Saabs and taking advantage of the substantially larger cargo volume and payload that they offer. We are confident that they will be key to securing new business.”
In addition to the Saab 340 aircraft, RVL Aviation – which was founded in 2007 – operates four Beech King Air, six Reims-Cessna 406, two Cessna 404 and one Cessna 402 aircraft for passenger and cargo charter and long-term contract operations for third parties.
Miami-based Jetstream Aviation Capital, specialises in leasing out commercially operated regional turboprop aircraft, and is the largest global owner of Saab 340 and Saab 2000 aircraft and associated spares and engines.
Jetstream’s portfolio of more than 150 aircraft also includes Beech 1900, Cessna Caravan, Embraer EMB-120, Pilatus PC-12 and Viking DHC-6-400 passenger and cargo aircraft.
