Tag Archives: SAS

SAS to retire the last Blue1 Boeing 717 on November 6

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) is now planning to phase out the last Boeing 717 with subsidiary Blue1 (Helsinki) on November 6. The last 717 flight is expected to be flight SK724 from Stockholm (Arlanda) to the Helsinki base according to Airline Route.

As previously reported, Blue1 will sell its entire Boeing 717-200 fleet to Volotea and Delta Air Lines and replace them with Boeing 737-600s transferred from Scandinavian Airlines.

Blue1 aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-1/Airlines-Europe-1/Blue1

SAS expands the number of flights to the USA and Asia

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) is increasing the number of departures to seven flights a week from Stockholm (Arlanda) to Chicago (Oo’Hare) and seven a week from Copenhagen to Shanghai.

The new departures are part of the SAS plan to expand its long haul fleet network that also includes opening all-new routes.

Earlier this year, SAS announced additional departures from Oslo and Stockholm to New York (JFK) and from Copenhagen to San Francisco.

SAS now announces three additional weekly departures – two extra flights to Shanghai and one more to Chicago. This means a daily service is now available on both routes. The improved services will coincide with the opening of the winter traffic program in late October and means that in winter 2015/16, SAS will offer 108 weekly departures between Scandinavia and the USA and 50 weekly departures between Scandinavia and Asia.

The new departures from Copenhagen to Shanghai will be on Mondays and Wednesdays. The new departures from Shanghai to Copenhagen will be Tuesdays and Thursdays. The new departure from Stockholm to Chicago and return will be on Sunday.

As of the start of the winter traffic program on October 26, 2015, the below five routes will all be upgraded to daily year-round service:

Copenhagen – Shanghai
Copenhagen – San Francisco
Stockholm – Chicago
Stockholm – New York
Oslo – New York

SAS offers long haul flights from Scandinavia to New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo. In September 2015, SAS will open a new route from Stockholm to Hong Kong.

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. SAS Airbus A330-343 LN-RKH (msn 497) departs from the Stockholm (Arlanda) hub.

SAS aircraft slide show:

SAS signs a new one-year contract with the Norwegian Pilot Union (NSF), strike avoided

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) has issued the following statement:

SAS has signed a new modern collective bargain agreement with the Norwegian pilot union NSF. The negotiations have reached its objective after a strike that lasted for seven days and involved 17 pilots. SAS has now agreed with all of its pilot unions on new collective bargain agreements that create conditions for future expansion.

Job security, reduced complexity and SAS need to act faster in relation to the market’s demand have been central parts in the negotiations for a new collective bargain agreement with the pilot unions during this spring. The Norwegian pilot union NSF signed the agreement as the last of the pilot unions and the agreement is now subject to a member voting.

The new collective bargain agreement is in force for 1 year and valid from April 1, 2015.

SAS aircraft slide show:

SAS reaches a new collection labor agreement with its Swedish pilots union

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) has issued this statement:

SAS has signed a new modern collective bargain agreement with the Swedish pilot union SPF. The negotiations have reached the targets within set timeframe and thus there will be no industrial action (strike) by the pilots in Sweden. SAS has now reached agreements with three of the four pilot unions on new contracts, which means that most of the SAS pilots are now covered by the new Scandinavian collective bargain agreement.

SAS’ objective is to invest in the aircrafts of the future, destinations and services that meet customers’ demand. Therefore, it is required that SAS adapts the collective bargain agreements to today’s competitive environment.

The new collective bargain agreement is valid for two years and shall enter into force on 21 May 2015.

SAS had as a preventative measure cancelled a limited number of flights to avoid having travelers being stranded in the event of a strike. We hope to return to normal traffic in Sweden as soon as possible.

SAS aircraft slide show:

SAS launches its summer schedule with 11 new routes

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) has started it summer schedule with 11 new routes. The airline issued this report on the new routes and summer services:

SAS is launching its summer timetable for 2015 with a number of new destinations from Scandinavia. Eleven new routes are being launched and many popular summer destinations are also returning.

From March 29, SAS will gradually be introducing its summer timetable and launching a total of eleven brand new routes, both from its main Scandinavian hubs and regional airports such as Gothenburg and Bergen.

New Routes

From Sweden

– Stockholm–Budapest: Departures on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. First departure March 29. No departures during the high season.
– Stockholm – Riga: Departures daily. First departure 29 March.
– Stockholm–Faro: Departures on Saturdays, plus Wednesdays in the high season. First departure April 4.
– Stockholm–Ankara: Departures on Thursdays. First departure July 2.
– Gothenburg–Alanya (Gazipasa): Departures on Wednesdays. First departure July 1.
– Gothenburg–Dublin: Departures on Saturdays, plus Wednesdays and Sundays in the high season. First departure April 11.

From Denmark

– Copenhagen–Edinburgh: Departures on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and daily during the high season. First departure March 29.
– Copenhagen–Ankara: Departures on Saturdays, plus Mondays and Wednesdays in the high season. First departure June 6.

From Norway

– Oslo–Salzburg: Departures on Saturdays. First departure May 23.
– Bergen–Gothenburg: Departures on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. First departure March 30. No departures during the high season.

Summer routes re-opening

Sweden

From Stockholm to Chania, Cagliari, Olbia, Biarritz, Palermo, Pisa, Pristina, Bristol, and Bodø, Pula, Bologna, Milan, Alanya.
From Gothenburg to Pula, Nice, Athens, Pristina, Alicante, and Palma de Mallorca.

Denmark

From Copenhagen to Dubrovnik, Split, Pula, Montpellier, Biarritz, Chania, Thessaloniki, Palermo, Naples, Pisa, Gazipasa, and Alicante.
From Billund we are also re-opening the route to Gazipasa in Turkey.

Norway

From Trondheim to Malaga and Barcelona. From Bergen to Split, Dubrovnik, Nice, Malaga, Barcelona, and Alanya (Gazipasa).
From Stavanger to Split, Nice, Malaga, Barcelona, and Alanya (Gazipasa).
From Kristiansand to Split.
From Oslo to Dubrovnik, Pula, Olbia, Pisa, Palermo, and Pristina.

Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A321-232 OY-KBF (msn 1807) prepares to touch down in Tenerife Sur.

SAS aircraft slide show:

SAS posts a wider fiscal first quarter net loss

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (SAS Group) (Stockholm posted a wider fiscal first quarter (through January 31, 2015) net loss of SEK 640 million ($73.7 million), a significant increase from its SEK 112 million ($12.9 million) reported in the same quarter a year ago.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. SAS has been selling some of its valuable London Heathrow (LHR) slots to raise capital in the current crunch. As a result, SAS is using larger aircraft into LHR. Boeing 737-883 LN-RRK (msn 32278) completes the final approach to the runway at LHR.

SAS aircraft slide show:

SAS sells another slot pair at London Heathrow Airport

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) has sold another slot pair at London’s slot-controlled Heathrow Airport. The airline issued this statement:

SAS has entered into a slot transaction with Turkish Airlines that will take over one afternoon slot-pair at London Heathrow from SAS at the beginning of the winter traffic program on October 25, 2015.

The transaction will generate a positive earnings impact of $22 million for SAS to be accounted for during the second quarter with a corresponding cash effect during calendar year 2015.

As part of creating balance between frequencies and capacity during the day and following the disposition of a morning slot-pair earlier in February 2015, SAS has entered into a second slot-pair transaction. Following this transaction, SAS will have 19 daily slot-pairs at London Heathrow and will still be the fifth largest airline operating at London Heathrow, measured in number of weekly departures. After this transaction, SAS does not have any plans to reduce its portfolio of slots.

SAS currently operates from London Heathrow to Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Oslo, Stockholm and Stavanger. SAS will continue to offer a strong and comprehensive network between Scandinavia and London Heathrow with the intention to keep the seat capacity to/from London Heathrow unchanged through the use of larger aircraft on remaining departures. As noted earlier in February 2015, SAS will consider the use of other airports in the London-region.

Following this transaction, Turkish Airlines will have 38 weekly slot-pairs at London Heathrow Airport.

Copyright Photo: SAS has pledged to use larger aircraft into London Heathrow. Scandinavian Airlines-SAS Airbus A321-232 LN-RKI (msn 1817), which formerly had the image of H.C. Andersen, taxies across the ramp at LHR.

SAS aircraft slide show:

SAS to sell a slot-pair at London Heathrow Airport

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) has announced it has entered into a slot transaction with a major unnamed international air carrier that will take over one slot-pair at London Heathrow from SAS at the beginning of the summer traffic program on March 29, 2015.

The airline continued;

The transaction will generate a positive earnings impact of the equivalent of $60 million for SAS to be accounted for during the second quarter of the fiscal year 2014/2015 with a corresponding cash effect during the fiscal year 2014/2015.

SAS is the fifth largest airline operating at London Heathrow measured in number of departures and had before this transaction 21 daily slot-pairs at London Heathrow, which now will be reduced to 20 daily slot-pairs.

SAS operates from London Heathrow to Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Oslo, Stockholm and Stavanger. Even after the transaction, SAS will continue to offer a strong and comprehensive network between Scandinavia and London Heathrow. The intention is to keep the seat capacity to/from London Heathrow through the use of larger aircraft on remaining departures. Furthermore, SAS will consider the use of other airports in the London-region.

SAS aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-3/Airlines-Europe3-QZ/Scandinavian-Airlines-SAS

SAS to complete the acquisition of Cimber on March 1, will transfer the CRJ900s

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) has announced it has received approval from the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority to finish the acquisition of Cimber (Sonderborg). SAS will complete the acquisition and will transfer its 12 Bombardier CRJ900s to Cimber. The airline issued this statement:

SAS is completing the acquisition of Cimber after meeting all of the terms of the transaction, including approval from the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority. SAS has appointed Kent Hansen as the new president of the airline. He will succeed the current president on March 1, 2015.

On December 8, 2014, SAS announced that it had agreed to acquire 100% of the shares in Cimber, that the value of the transaction was MDKK 20 and that the transaction was subject to customary terms including receiving approval from the Danish competition authority.

The Danish Competition and Consumer Authority has notified its approval of SAS’s acquisition of Cimber. In parallel, the remaining terms of the agreement have been met and, accordingly, SAS’s acquisition of Cimber can now be completed.

As previously announced, the acquisition means an opportunity for SAS to transfer production by its 12 Bombardier CRJ900s to Cimber, thereby, allowing more focused and flexible production to be achieved.

The transfer is planned to be completed on March 1, 2015.

Copyright Photo: Rolf Wallner/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier CRJ900 (CL-600-2D24) OY-KFI (msn 15242) of SAS taxies at Zurich.

SAS aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-3/Airlines-Europe3-QZ/Scandinavian-Airlines-SAS

SAS to launch an improved business class experience on January 28

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) has announced it will launch a new improved business class experience for its long-haul flights staring on January 28. The airline issued this statement:

On January 28, SAS is launching an improved service concept in SAS Business on all its long haul flights. Customers will enjoy a restaurant experience in the air with an even greater number of choices, even more personal service and high quality in every respect.

SAS is currently in the process of updating its long haul fleet. This includes the renovation of seven existing aircraft and the introduction of new aircraft from fall 2015. The food and drink experience onboard in SAS Business is also being improved and customers will notice changes from January 28.

Additional choice and more personal service will be the most noticeable changes for customers in SAS Business. For example, they will have an extra starter and main course to choose from. To increase the restaurant feel and provide an even more personal service, proper tablecloths and porcelain will be used and food will be served from a service trolley to minimize the use of trays.

The improved service concept will be available on all SAS long haul flights from January 28. SAS’s long haul destinations from Scandinavia are New York (JFK), Washington (Dulles), Chicago (O’Hare), San Francisco, Houston (Bush Intercontinental), Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo (Narita). On September 10, 2015, SAS will open a new route from Stockholm (Arlanda) to Hong Kong.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Scandinavian Airlines-SAS Airbus A330-343 SE-REF (msn 568) in the Star Alliance scheme arrives at Dulles International Airport near Washington.

SAS aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-3/Airlines-Europe3-QZ/Scandinavian-Airlines-SAS