SAS Group

SAS Group

SAS Group is a big airline company from Sweden. It owns several airlines, including Scandinavian Airlines, SAS Link, and SAS Connect. The company’s main office is in Solna Municipality, near Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.

In 2024, SAS Group faced money problems and had to close for a short time. It started again in August 2024. Now, different groups own parts of the company. These include an American investment fund called Castlelake, the Government of Denmark, another airline company called Air France-KLM, and a Danish family office named Lind Invest.

SAS Group began a long time ago, in 1951, when three airlines from Sweden, Denmark, and Norway joined together. For many years, these three countries owned parts of SAS, but this changed over time. Norway stopped owning part of SAS in 2018, and the Swedish government stopped in 2024.

SAS Group was part of important airline groups and helped start the Star Alliance, but it left this group in August 2024. The company also runs a program called EuroBonus for people who fly with them often.

History

The airline began on August 1, 1946 when airlines from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway joined together for flights to Scandinavia. The first flights started on September 17, 1946. Over time, these airlines worked together more closely and fully merged in 1951. At first, ownership was shared between the three countries, with both private investors and governments sharing control. Over the years, SAS grew to control many local airlines in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. In May 1997, SAS helped create the global Star Alliance group together with Air Canada, Lufthansa, Thai Airways International, and United Airlines.

History of SAS Group

The SAS Group started in 1918 with the founding of AB Aerotransport (ABA) in Sweden. Soon after, similar companies were created in Denmark and Norway. In 1946, these companies joined together to form SAS, and their first big flight went from Stockholm Arlanda to New York.

Over the years, SAS made many firsts. They were the first to fly a special route over the North Pole from Copenhagen to Tokyo. They also introduced new technology, like the first electronic reservation system. In the 1990s, SAS joined a group of airlines called Star Alliance.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused big problems for SAS, and they had to stop most flights. By 2022, SAS needed to reorganize its finances and changed its ownership. New investors bought parts of the company, including a US firm and Air France-KLM. This helped SAS continue operating. Today, Air France-KLM plans to own more of SAS, making it part of their bigger airline group, while Denmark’s government will keep a smaller share.

Operations

The SAS Group is the main company in the SAS airline family. It owns several important parts, including Scandinavian Airlines, SAS Connect, SAS Link, SAS Cargo Group, SAS Ground Handling, and SAS Technical Services.

The head office of SAS Group is now in the SAS Frösundavik Office Building in Frösundavik, Solna Municipality, Sweden, near Stockholm. Before that, it was at Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) in Sigtuna Municipality, Sweden.

Partners and alliances

Scandinavian Airlines is part of the SkyTeam alliance. Before that, it helped start the Star Alliance and was a member from 1997 to 2024. SAS Cargo Group was also part of the WOW Alliance. Air Greenland works together with SAS through an interline agreement.

List of shareholders

Presidents

The company has had many leaders over the years. Some of the presidents include Per Norlin, Per Møystad Backe, Henning Throne-Holst, Åke Rusck, and Jan Carlzon, among others. Each helped guide the company when they were in charge.

Financial performance

Before 2001, the SAS Group did not count the traffic from airBaltic, Blue1, and Spanair in its numbers.

Fleet

The SAS Group fleet has many types of airplanes. As of November 2023, the group had lots of planes in service.

In 2010, SAS sold 18 older MD-80 airplanes to Allegiant Travel Company. These planes were built between 1985 and 1991.

In 2010, SAS leased 8 MD-90 airplanes to a U.S. airline for five years. These planes were delivered between late 2010 and mid-2011.

In 2018, SAS bought 35 new Airbus A320neos and leased 15 more. These new planes will replace some of SAS's older A320s and Bombardier CRJ900s, increasing the total number of these planes to 80.

SAS Museum

The SAS Museum at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen in Norway shows important parts of Scandinavian aviation history. It has items from Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) and its parent companies: AB Aerotransport (ABA), Det Danske Luftfartselskab (DDL), and Det Norske Luftfartselskap (DNL). The museum began in 1989 at Oslo Airport, Fornebu, started by SAS employees who loved history. In 2003-2004, a new and bigger museum opened at Oslo’s Gardermoen. SAS works with historic groups from Sweden, Denmark, and Norway to keep the museum running and help pay for the building. The museum tells the story of Scandinavian aviation in a new and expanded way.