SAS Emerges from Restructuring with New Strategies and SkyTeam Membership
On September 17, 2024, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) marked a significant milestone in its corporate history by officially joining the SkyTeam airline alliance. This strategic move was announced during a well-attended media event in Copenhagen, Denmark, reflecting the airline’s recovery and future ambitions post-restructuring. The integration into SkyTeam aligns with SAS’s broader objectives to enhance connectivity and service offerings, leveraging synergies within the alliance that includes major carriers such as Air France-KLM.
As part of its growth trajectory, SAS disclosed plans to expand its network substantially beginning summer 2025. This expansion includes launching 15 new routes from Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup. The selected destinations spread across Europe including cities like Krakow, Madrid, and Milan, among others. This decision underscores Copenhagen’s central role in SAS’s operations, influenced partly by the Danish government’s significant shareholding following the restructuring.
Moreover, SAS is reinstating its previously discontinued route to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, establishing a five-weekly nonstop service. This route reinstatement to Seattle, a major tech hub, is strategic, aiming to capture the business and leisure travel segments between Scandinavia and North America. This addition will bring the number of SAS’s destinations in North America to eleven.
In addition to the new routes, SAS is also enhancing service frequencies on fifteen existing routes from Copenhagen. This is part of a broader initiative to solidify its presence and improve service offerings in its primary hub. The airline is also maintaining robust flight programs from its other key hubs in Oslo and Stockholm, with a new seasonal service between Oslo and New York set to commence during the summer season.
Revamping SAS Service Classes and Partnership Developments
Paul Verhagen, SAS’s Chief Commercial Officer, articulated a significant shift in the airline’s service class offerings. The future will see the introduction of a fully-fledged business class on European routes, moving beyond the current SAS Go and SAS Plus classes. This upgrade is intended to provide a more differentiated and premium experience for travelers, aligning with the standards of business class services typical in international travel.
Additionally, SAS has entered into a strategic partnership with Swedish regional carrier BRA. Under this agreement, BRA will operate several domestic routes within Sweden as well as feeder services into Copenhagen under a wet-lease arrangement. This partnership is designed to enhance operational efficiency and extend SAS’s domestic reach within Sweden.
The event also served as a platform to unveil SAS’s new uniform designs for cabin and ground crews, symbolizing a fresh start and renewed corporate identity. SkyTeam’s CEO, Patrick Roux, also highlighted the strategic importance of SAS’s accession to the alliance, noting the potential for increased network connectivity and collaborative opportunities among member airlines.