SAS complements production with new Air Operator Certificate

SAS has decided to establish a new AOC in Ireland with operational bases in London and Spain. The aim is for the new operations to be up and running from winter 2017/2018, providing a smaller number of departures as a complement to SAS’s existing production. “In line with SAS’s strategy of focusing on those customers who travel frequently to, from and within Scandinavia, the majority of SAS’s airline operations will continue to be based in Scandinavia moving forward. The establishment of new bases means we can complement our Scandinavian production and, in time, build an even broader network with a superior schedule to the benefit of our customers,” says Rickard Gustafson, SAS President and CEO.
The aircraft based in London and Spain will have the same customer offering and appearance as other airline operations at SAS and with corresponding requirements in terms of safety and standards. At the start, smaller start-up costs for the new AOC and new bases are expected to impact earnings. Initially, the financial effects from operations at these bases will be small, but will gradually increase as operations grow.