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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 1033.PDF
\ 644 I June 1951 Freight charter has played an important part in the development of S.A.S. traffic. This DC-4 is loading at Kastrup. IN THE WAY OF OF THE VIKINGS were divided among the participants in proportion to their holdings, while at the same time each company contributed aircraft, equipment and the required amount of capital. The companies chartered their aircraft to S.A.S., which had its own organization and personnel in Stockholm and was headed by a board of directors consisting of two Danish, two Norwegian and two Swedish representatives. The first chairman was the director of D.D.L., Mr. Per Kampmann. S.A.S. was empowered to negotiate bilateral agreements with other nations and was officially recognized by foreign powers. To meet foreign competition, much of which was State-subsidized, the new S.A.S. had obviously to fine down its overhead costs to the absolute minimum. This policy of streamlining when many of the other companies were still "empire-building" paid off in substantial dividends and has continued to do so up to date. The first S.A.S. aircraft to wear the common badge incorporating the three Scandinavian flags took off for New York on August 1st, 1946. Later the same year a further route was opened to Montevideo, via Lisbon, Dakar, Recife and Rio de Janeiro and was later extended to Buenos Aires. Joint operations of the S.A.S. overseas division on inter- continental routes having proved successful, it was obviously out of the question to continue the competition between the three companies within Europe. D.D.L. and D.N.L. had not competed directly with S.I.L.A., which had not operated Continental routes, but they had run in competition with A.B.A., which had focused its attention on European services and had not joined the consortium. The task of ending this wasteful state of affairs was made easier when the two Swedish companies, A.B.A. and S.I.R.A., were satisfactorily merged in 1948. The European division of S.A.S. (E.S.A.S.) was formed to co-ordinate all services excluding domestic Scandinavian flights and the two Atlantic routes, which still required a separate organization in view of their special operating problems. A joint sales system was formed which included common foreign representation, common operations and technical services and a common accounting system. Scheduled European nights were directed by a co-ordinating section, and a freight unit in Oslo supervised charter flights. This Charter Central, as it was known, had at its disposal two DC-4S and two DC-3S, which were constantly available for charter traffic. In the first eight months of 1949, fat example, 350 separate charter flights were negotiated. The joint S.A.S. fleet then numbered 70 aircraft and included 16 DC-6s, nine DC-4S, 39 DC-3S, four Vikings, two Sandringhams and two Ju 52s. Copenhagen became the maintenance base for the DC-4S at the end of 1947 and Oslo took over the maintenance of two-engined types. Meanwhile Stockholm became the permanent base for the DC-6s. By April, 1948, the total network of S.A.S. covered 149,000 km (92,603 miles) and included 69 different points in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. The desirable sequel was, of course, that the whole cycle of development should be completed with the application of the same co-operative principle to operations within Scan- dinavia. As this was logical and, at the same time, good economy, the Scandinavians were not slow to bring such an arrangement into being. On February 8th of this year the consortium agreement was signed, under which the entire resources of the three companies were completely pooled and the former O.S.A.S. and E.S.A.S. agreements invalidated. Participation is in the same proportion as hitherto, i.e., Sweden three-sevenths and Norway and Denmark two-sevenths each and the initial capital of the consortium is set at 157,500,000 Swedish kroner. The agreement is valid until 1975 unless, under certain circumstances, it is terminated earlier. The affairs of the enterprise are managed by a board of directors, an executive committee appointed within the board, and one or several managers, one of whom is appointed genera] manager or president. The president now in office is Mr. Per Norlin; the board is under the chairmanship of Mr. Per M. Hansson of D.N.L. who, together with five other., directors, forms the working committee. 5 The S.A.S. fleet of 55 aircraft comprises 12 DC-6s, nine' DC-4S, 24 DC-3S, six of the newly-introduced Saab Scandias, two Sandringhams and two Ju 52 floatplanes. Eight DC-6Bs have been ordered and are due for delivery next year. The new administrative set-up to co-ordinate the operations of the revised S.A.S. system is based at Stock- holm, the three former airlines having now become holding companies with no separate activities; they are referred to. as the Norwegian, Danish or Swedish divisions. More detailed mention of some of the effects of the revised agreement, and some impressions of F.A.S. operating technique, will be contained in the second and concluding part of this article. The Oslo seaplane base, from which the Sandringhams are operated, is conveniently near the main airport at Fornebu.
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