Only a few days after American Airlines announced that it has canceled its order for 22 Airbus A350s, Sweden's flag-carrying airline Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has announced it intends to buy or lease a total of 50 Airbus A320neos, with an option for a further five.
The purchase is part of a transition by SAS to all-Airbus commercial jets for its short-, medium- and long-haul flights as it continues its march towards a more standardized and financially efficient fleet of aircraft.
The order has been divided into two parts – 15 aircraft which are to be leased through lessors, for which declarations of intent are in place, and which will be delivered from spring 2019 through to 2021. The remaining 35 planes will be delivered directly to SAS up to 2023. The cost of the 35 A320neos stands at US$4 billion at list price.
SAS has already 17 Airbus A320neos in service from a previous order for 30 Airbus A320neos. This latest order means that SAS will have a minimum 80 Airbus A320neos in service by 2023. In line with the deliveries of the new Airbus A320neos, SAS will begin phasing out its Boeing 737 and existing Airbus A320 aircraft.
According to Rickard Gustafson, SAS Chief Executive: “Ordering 50 Airbus A320neos gives us access to the market's most efficient aircraft, thereby enabling us to further improve our operational efficiency and to continue to reduce our climate-impacting emissions.”
On the deal, Eric Schulz, Chief Commercial Officer, Airbus Commercial Aircraft commented: “We are proud with this repeat commitment by SAS. The A320neo will complement SAS's existing Airbus fleet, with unbeatable fuel efficiency and the lowest operating costs and environmental footprint. It is the perfect choice for SAS, for replacing its older generation aircraft. This means more of SAS's passengers will keep enjoying the best comfort in the skies.”
One of the principal attractions to SAS of the Airbus A320neo is its 15-20 percent lower jet-fuel consumption per seat kilometer compared to the aircraft being phased out of its current fleet. SAS has committed to implementing SEK 3 billion (US$360m) in efficiency gains by 2020, while having a single-type fleet will see efficiency levels increased beyond 2020 and on to the next level.
