BAE Systems and Saywell International Celebrate 10 Years of BAe 748 Spares Support

Prestwick, Scotland....BAE Systems and Saywell International this month celebrate 10 years of continued spares support for the BAe 748 twin turboprop transport airliner.

In September 2001, BAE Systems appointed Saywell International to be their sole distributor of spares for the aircraft. Saywell’s own vast inventory of spares at its Worthing, Sussex headquarters, supported by their Miami office/warehouse and Vancouver and Singapore regional offices for the South American, North American and Asian markets respectively, was boosted at the time by the transfer of a significant spares stock previously held by BAE Systems.

Since that time, Saywell International has ensured the efficient and timely supply of spares to BAe 748 customers worldwide in an operation that is closely monitored by BAE Systems to ensure high standards of service. Over the ten-year period more than 30,000 BAe 748 spares transactions have been made by Saywell, worth in excess of US$40 million and, today, Saywell’s warehouses stock a truly comprehensive range of parts for the aircraft.

Whilst Saywell International is responsible for continuing spares sales and supply for the BAe 748, BAE Systems Regional Aircraft at Prestwick, Scotland still provides top-class technical support and liaison services for the aircraft, nearly 50 years after it entered service in 1962.

Peter Saywell, Managing Director of Saywell International commented: “We are well placed to maintain our ongoing commitment to keeping the worldwide BAe 748 customer base supplied with a full inventory of spares for the aircraft. In addition to supporting the aircraft manufactured between 1960 and 1988 by BAE Systems, we also support the Indian licence-built aircraft, many of which remain in operational service. Our plan is to support all these aircraft for as long as they remain in service.”

Sean McGovern, Business Director Support for BAE Systems Regional Aircraft added: “The milestone of the ten years of collaboration between Saywell International and ourselves, together with almost half a century of top level technical support for the aircraft, serves to show the commitment of BAE Systems to fully support its customers for the long-term. Saywell’s performance has been excellent and was a key factor in our agreeing four years ago to appoint them as sole spares stockist for our Jetstream 31/32 turboprop airliner.”

The BAe 748 is a highly versatile and effective 50-seat turboprop, powered by twin Rolls-Royce Dart engines, 291 aircraft were built in the UK, together with a further 89 aircraft built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at Kanpur in India.

Of these, around 70 BAE Systems-built aircraft remain in service worldwide with over 20 operators, primarily in Canada, South America, Asia and Africa. Operators include airlines, cargo carriers and air forces.

In India, a further 50 aircraft of the HAL-built aircraft are in service with branches of the Indian Armed Forces.