SAS Scandinavian Airlines plans to replace 3,520 seats in its narrowbody fleet with new lightweight, slim economy-class seats, beginning with its Boeing 737-800 fleet in May. At the same time, the aircraft will be equipped with Wi-Fi.
Regional manager-Central Europe Bjorn Ekegren told in Berlin that new business- and economy-class seats in its long-haul fleet are also being evaluated. According to SAS, 70% of its business is on short-haul routes and 30% is on long-haul operations.
SAS is harmonizing its jet fleet bases as it moves toward a single-type fleet. It bases a mix of 737 Classic/737NGs at its Oslo Gardermoen (OSL) hub, MD-80/737NG aircraft at Stockholm Arlanada (ARN), and MD-80/Airbus aircraft at its Copenhagen (CPH) hub.
From 2014 through 2016, SAS will base its 737NGs at OSL, 737NGs at ARN, and A320s/A320neos at CPH. SAS will launch 25 new routes this year.
SAS’s fleet renewal plans include replacing the last remaining MD-80s and the oldest Airbus A320s with A320neos , nine Boeing 737-800s and 12 leased 737-700s . “This allows us to save up to €32 million ($42 million) in operational costs annually,” Ekegren said.
Article Source : ATW Daily News
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