TOM GILL / LONDON
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has unveiled a major reorganisation of European operations that will see it axing loss-making routes in Scandinavia and boosting intra-European business services.
The move, aimed at returning the carrier to profitability, will involve SAS cutting 13 routes and transferring six of them to lower-cost subsidiaries and partners, and disposing of or redeploying up to 20 aircraft.
In October, SAS will stop flying from Copenhagen to Jonkoping, Norrkoping and Vasteras in Sweden and Wroclaw in Poland, and will cut routes from Stockholm to Kristianstad and Skelleftea in Sweden. Next April, it will drop flights from Copenhagen to Sondre Stromfjord in Greenland. From October, its Norwegian regional Wideroe will gradually take over the northern Norway Norlink network operated by SAS Commuter.
SAS-owned Boeing 737 operator Braathens will take over the Oslo-Tromso-Kirkenes route which SAS currently flies with Boeing MD-82s and 737-800s. SAS's Finnish subsidiary Air Botnia, which operates BAE Systems Avro RJ85s and Saab 2000s, will take over routes between Stockholm and Turku and Tammerfors in Finland now flown by SAS MD-87s, MD-82s and Bombardier Dash 8s. This winter SAS will boost frequencies from Copenhagen, Helsinki and Stockholm to London, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, and Vienna.
The modifications, which equate to a cut in capacity of up to 10%, will allow faster turnarounds and increase aircraft utilisation by 5%, the airline says. Job cuts as a result of the changes have not been finalised.
The final shape of the fleet has also to be determined, says Anders Ehrling, director of network management. SAS Commuter's five Fokker 50s will be decommissioned, and an order for 28 Bombardier Dash-8 Q400s will be reduced to 24 or 22. SAS is, however, "looking at a wider opportunity for the Dash 8 Q400s than before", Ehrling adds.
Source: Flight International
