Saab 1073: The Little Jet That Could Have Revolutionized Passenger Boarding

In the late 1960s, Saab rethought the entire system of moving passengers onto and off of aircraft.

Jason McDowell

Tuesday, March 04, 2025 at 10:18 AM ET

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Edited By: Meg Scarbrough

The Saab 1073 concept would utilize a 747-style upper deck to house the cockpit. [Credit: Saab]

Key Takeaways:

Saab's 1073 airliner concept aimed to revolutionize passenger logistics and reduce turnaround times for short-haul flights, identifying inefficient boarding and deplaning as a major bottleneck.
Inspired by the Boeing 747, its radical design featured a hinged nose for quick, dedicated baggage loading and an upper deck for the cockpit, freeing the main deck for passengers.
When paired with purpose-built terminals, the 1073's design allowed for simultaneous, separate passenger flows and self-pushback capability, projecting a total turnaround time of just five minutes, though it ultimately never entered production.

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The logistics of moving passengers onto and off of aircraft has seen comparatively little innovation since the early days of airline travel. Yes, there have been some developments in loading zones, dual jet bridges, and gate-checked baggage, but at the end of the day, we funnel scores of people into and out of a long tube in a very cumbersome, inefficient fashion.

In the late 1960s, however, Saab rethought the entire system and proposed an innovative solution in the form of the 80-87 passenger Saab 1073 short-range airliner.