SAE SWE AVIATION EUROPE, A. B.: P. O. Box 47, Malmo-Sturup, SE-23032, Sweden; Phone 46 (0) 40 408550; Fax 46 (0) 40 408559; Http://www. sae. se; Year Founded 1996; This small charter operation is founded by Managing Director Jan Fahlen in July 1996 as a division of Varnamo-based Swetrail Group. The concern is comprised of three divisions: flight operations, technical department (JAR 145 maintenance), and sales. Passenger and cargo charters are operated with a single Fokker F.27 Friendship.
During the spring of 2000, a scheduled daily roundtrip route is opened between Goteborg and Hanover. This new service is temporarily suspended on November 1.
SAEAGA AIRLINES, LTD.: Malaysia (1995-1998). Based at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, Saeaga is established in December 1995 by Air-trade Aviation Consultants, Ltd. of Singapore and EEA Malaysia, Ltd. The owners represented by Airtrade include the hotel concern Ekran Sdn. Bhd., which also operates Sabah Air (Penerbangan Sabah Sdn. Bhd.) and Ekran Air Sdn. Bhd. as well as the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah.
A de Havilland DHC-8-202 is acquired and on February 15, 1996 makes a route-proving flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Subang to Kuching via Langkawi. The aircraft is flown by Canadian pilots Capt. Eric Dumond and Gaetan Viens and in addition to government and airline officials, has all five of the company’s first-hire flight attendants aboard, all retired from Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines).
The carrier now receives its charter license from the Department of Civil Aviation and begins, at month’s end, nonscheduled flights to Man-ada in north Sulawesi, Indonesia, and to the southern Philippine communities of Davao and General Santos.
Another Dash 8, a Mark 315, is also purchased during the first quarter, along with a Canadair CRJ-100 Regional Jet. Saeaga, the first airline operator outside of Canada to fly both the Dash 8 and CRJ, begins scheduled services in April.
Services continue apace during the remainder of the year and in 1997, with visits paid to Balikpapan, Bangkok, Davao City, Labuan, Macau, Menado, and Sabah, Sarawak, Subic Bay plus smaller communities in the Indonesian provinces of Sulawesi and Kalimantan and in the southern Philippines.
As a result of the regional economic downturn, the company suspends operations in March 1998. Plans are made to restart, but cannot be implemented.
World History
