West Air Europe technical director Robert Drews with Scandinavian Avionics’ president and sales director Hardy Truelsen

West Air upgrades aircraft and adds racehorse transport capability

West Air Sweden, cargo and mail specialist airline headquartered in Gothenburg, reports significant improvements in operational efficiency and safety through a comprehensive glass cockpit upgrade programme for its BAe ATP fleet. West Air Europe technical director Robert Drews says: “This latest generation EFIS system from Scandinavian Avionics improves pilot situation awareness and reduces cockpit workload, which we see as significant safety enhancements.”

The company, which added a B737-300 and three ATP aircraft to its fleet in 2009, expects to acquire further aircraft in 2010. These will join 43 ATPs, five L188 Lockheed Electra, two CRJ-200PF and an ATR 72F already in service. 

Drews says: “The additional aircraft support our existing mail and express customer base. The B737-300 is a departure from our previous strategy and is equipped to carry racehorses as well as being capable of standard cargo operations. This aircraft choice is being evaluated as a potential successor to the L188 Electra along with other similar capacity types.”

Russell Ladkin, sales and oper-ations director and part-owner of the group, says operational efficiency and technical reliability are key to the successful growth of the business but safety has highest priority and the cockpit upgrade reflected this.