Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines System, or SAS, was founded in 1946 when the flag carriers of Denmark, Sweden and Norway formed a partnership to handle intercontinental traffic to Scandinavia. The companies then started coordination of European operations in 1948 and finally merged to form the current SAS Consortium in 1951.
SAS is currently the leading carrier in the Nordic countries, and is also a founding member of the Star Alliance. It operates out of two primary hubs, the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport and the Copenhagen Airport in Kastrup. Oslo Airport is serviced mainly with connections from the Swedish and Danish SAS hubs. The SAS fleet has 130 aircraft.
The airline has three fully owned subsidiaries, Braathens and Widerĝe in Norway and Blue1 in Finland. It also owns 49% stakes in Spanair and Estonian Air. In 2003, the Snowflake brand name, which operates discount-fare routes, was launched. In 2001, SAS and its subsidiaries transported a total of 36 million passengers.
The worst accident of SAS happened in 2001 in Milan, Italy, when its McDonnell Douglas MD-87 plane collided with a small plane during take-off and left 114 people dead.
| Aircraft | Number | Type
|
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A340-300 | 7 | Long haul |
| Airbus A330-300 | 3 | Long haul |
| Airbus A321-200 | 7 | Short haul / domestic |
| Boeing 737-800 | 15 | Short haul / domestic |
| Boeing 737-700 | 6 | Short haul / domestic |
| Boeing 737-600 | 24 | Short haul / domestic |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-81 | 7 | Short haul / domestic |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 32 | Short haul / domestic |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 | 8 | Short haul / domestic |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-87 | 15 | Short haul / domestic |
| De Havilland Q400 | 24 | Short haul / domestic |
| Fokker 50 | 2 | Short haul / domestic |
See also: List of Swedish companies, List of Norwegian companies, List of Danish companies
External links
Members of the Star Alliance
Air Canada | Air New Zealand | ANA | Asiana Airlines | Austrian Airlines | bmi | LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa | SAS | Singapore Airlines | Spanair | Thai Airways | United Airlines | US Airways | Varig
Future Members: Blue1 | South African Airways | TAP Air Portugal
| List of Aircraft | Aircraft Manufacturers | Aircraft Engines | Aircraft Engine Manufacturers Airlines | Air Forces | Aircraft Weapons | Missiles | Years in Aviation |