Toulouse | May 22, 2019– Airbus has signed  a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SAS Scandinavian Airlines for hybrid and electric aircraft eco-system and infrastructure requirements research.

The MoU was signed by Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer, Airbus and Göran Jansson, Deputy President EVP Strategy & Ventures, Scandinavian Airlines. Collaboration will start in June 2019 and will continue until the end of 2020.

Under the MoU, Airbus and SAS Scandinavian Airlines will cooperate on a joint research project to enhance understanding of the operational and infrastructure opportunities and challenges involved with the large-scale introduction of hybrid and full electric aircraft to airlines modus operandi. The project scope includes five work packages, which focus on analysing the impact of ground infrastructure and charging on range, resources, time and availability at airports.

The collaboration also includes a plan to involve a renewable energy supplier to ensure genuine zero CO2 emissions operations are assessed. This multidisciplinary approach—from energy to infrastructure—aims to address the entire aircraft operations ecosystem in order to better support the aviation industry’s transition to sustainable energy.

Aircraft are roughly 80% more fuel efficient per passenger kilometer than they were 50 years ago.  However, with air traffic growth estimated to more than double over the next 20 years, reducing aviation’s impact on the environment remains the aim of the industry.

To overcome this challenge, the Global Aviation Industry (ATAG) including Airbus and SAS Scandinavian Airlines have committed to achieving carbon-neutral growth for the aviation industry as a whole from 2020 onwards, cutting aviation net emissions by 50% by 2050 (compared to 2005).

This agreement further strengthens Airbus’ position in a field where it is already investing in and focusing its research efforts on developing hybrid-electric and electric propulsion technologies that promise significant environmental benefits.  Airbus has already started to build a portfolio of technology demonstrators and is currently testing innovative hybrid propulsion systems, subsystems and components in order to address long-term efficiency goals for building and operating electric aircraft.

One additional aircraft to increase efficiency with lower carbon footprint

Toulouse, France | April 12, 2018– SAS selected the A330-300 to further standardize its long-haul fleet. One new A330-300 equipped with RR Trent 772B engines will join the Scandinavian carrier’s network in the second Quarter 2019. SAS has been an Airbus customer since 1980 with an Airbus fleet of 57 aircraft (eight A340s, eight A330s and 41 A320 Family aircraft) to date.

“We are thankful that SAS has selected the Airbus Family for the second time this week. This further commitment by SAS to the A330 demonstrates the unmatched operating economics and operational versatility of this aircraft,” said Eric Schulz, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “We are delighted to be continuing our long-standing partnership with SAS.”

The A330 is one of the world’s most efficient and versatile widebody aircraft with best in class economics making it the benchmark for the growing low cost long-haul operations business model worldwide. To date the A330 Family has attracted over 1,700 orders, making it the world’s best-selling wide-body aircraft in its category. More than 1,350 A330 Family aircraft are currently flying today with more than 110 operators worldwide. With an operational reliability of 99.4 percent and various product enhancements, the A330 Family is the most cost-efficient and capable widebody aircraft to date.

• SITA’s Mobility Access provides easy network connectivity through 57-million hotspots globally

Stockholm | October 26, 2016– Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is keeping its flight crew connected and in touch on the ground no matter where they are in the world through SITA’s global, always-on Wi-Fi service, Mobility Access.

SITA’s Wi-Fi service provides more than 5,200 SAS employees – working primarily in SAS flight operations – secure access to the world’s largest Wi-Fi network through 57-million hotspots in 120 countries. The service, available in more than 700 airports globally, has made it possible for crew members to receive flight and passenger information through the airline’s crew tablet application while on the ground, wherever they are located around the globe.

Jeff Markstedt, Head of IT Communication at SAS, said: “It is important that everybody within SAS can easily connect to the airline’s systems and get the latest information needed in their day-to-day work. By using SITA’s Wi-Fi service enables SAS to provide a secure and cost-effective connectivity to its employees around the globe.”

Through Mobility Access, SITA makes it possible to update applications from any destination. Airline companies can now centrally manage their global connectivity, ensuring security and cost-effectiveness while the crew has the most up-to-date information for flight planning and providing a better passenger service.

Dave Bakker, SITA President, Europe said: “Keeping crew members in touch and up to date is a crucial operational requirement for SAS as they fly more than 28 million passengers to 119 destinations across Europe, America and Asia every year. Mobility Access ensures that SAS crew members always have Wi-Fi access that provides high-quality connectivity no matter where they are in the world.”

An added benefit of SITA’s Mobility Access is that by reducing the need for other roaming services, communication costs are kept low without having to compromise on quality connectivity.

• SITA’s Mobility Access is delivered using the Wi-Fi infrastructure provided by iPass, a cloud-based service that provides customers access to the world’s largest Wi-Fi network.

Stockhom and Carlsbad, CA | September 8, 2016– SAS, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, has been focused on bringing innovation to its passengers since 1946. With a passion and vision to ‘make life easier’ for Scandinavia’s frequent flyers, SAS is making investments of MSEK 500 across its entire short and medium haul fleet – from installing the fastest WiFi on the market to completing a full cabin upgrade. By partnering with ViaSat, SAS can offer onboard WiFi speeds of 12 Mbps and higher to each passenger; ensuring time spent on board will be more productive and more enjoyable with streaming TV, music and movies.

“Many of our customers are frequent flyers and we play an important part in the lives of many people. The upgrade we implemented on our long haul aircraft gained a very positive reception and we are now upgrading our short and medium haul fleet, which will also include high-speed WiFi with speeds that enable time on board to be utilized for work or to relax and enjoy a streamed movie or TV series. As both passengers and crew on board are now connected, we can take our personal service to greater heights while continuing to develop our digital, smart solutions that make life easier,” says Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO of SAS.

Giving Passengers a Seamless WiFi Experience
SAS is committed to delivering seamless WiFi travel experiences where passengers can access all of their content and information from anywhere: at home, at the airport or on board. The new onboard high-speed WiFi service gives passenger’s gate-to-gate internet access with the fastest speed available on the market.

In addition to streaming, social media and traditional workplace applications, passengers can also expect to get better assistance from the cabin crew, which have been recently equipped with iPad Minis that will be connected to the WiFi system. With new high-speed WiFi capabilities SAS crew will be able to access flight and passenger information – before take-off, during the flight and after the flight lands. This includes helping passengers check if their flight is on time to the status of connecting flights, check their EuroBonus account or even book a EuroBonus flight, shop in the EuroBonus store, rent a car, book a taxi to meet them at the airport or even tell SAS crew members what they thought of the service – all while on board.

The first aircraft with the new WiFi-system will enter service in the second half of 2017. Onboard WiFi will be free on short haul flights for all SAS EuroBonus members and SAS Plus ticket holders.

“In working with SAS, we are making the internet accessible, fast and easy-to-use at 35,000 feet. Only by coupling the ViaSat end-to-end service platform with Eutelsat’s European satellite connectivity, can we enable airlines, like SAS, to offer a best-in-class onboard WiFi service in Europe for free to EuroBonus-members and SAS Plus passengers,” says Mark Dankberg, chairman and CEO, ViaSat.

Upgrading the Cabin for a Better Overall Experience
The first aircraft with the refreshed cabin interior will be SAS’s new A320neo, which in addition to extra leg room, new and more comfortable seats, a lighting system that aligns with the time of day and USB outlets at seats to keep personal devices charged, will also offer 15-20% lower fuel consumption. The interior design is in line with the new cabin offered on SAS long haul routes, which was launched in 2015. The new interior quickly became very popular with both Scandinavian and international customers.

In addition to 30 new A320s, 70 existing cabins will also be upgraded between 2017 and mid-2019. The WiFi onboard and cabin upgrades are expected to amount to a total investment of approximately MSEK 500 over a three year period.

• Lufthansa Systems expands cooperation with Scandinavian airline

Raunheim | October 15, 2015– Lufthansa Systems today announced that the Scandinavian airline SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System) will use its SchedConnect codeshare management solution. The two companies recently signed a five-year agreement to this effect.

“At SAS, we want to make our customers’ life easier by providing hundreds of world-wide destinations. Therefore, we combine our route network with several partner networks, such as Star Alliance. To ensure an even more seamless experience, we will rely on SchedConnect from Lufthansa Systems to manage our codeshare connections efficiently in the future,” said Tobias Jönsson, Vice President Revenue Management at SAS.

SchedConnect is currently the most technologically advanced system of its kind. The
solution offers a high level of automation by receiving and sending schedule data of around 25 customers and its codeshare partners and calculating the optimal codeshare connections for the current customer schedules on a daily basis. The system processes up to 45 million schedule changes each month for its customers. If a minimum connecting time is violated due to a schedule change or if a partner flight is canceled, SchedConnect assigns the marketing flight number to another suitable connecting flight operated by the partner. Changes are sent through the reservation systems to travel agents and customers as well as to the operations and passenger-related systems of the airlines involved.

In addition to supplying and implementing SchedConnect, Lufthansa Systems will take charge of the solution’s smooth operation. The application will be sub-hosted on a high-quality server, with Lufthansa Systems handling coordination with the provider.

“As a fully integrated network carrier and member of Star Alliance, codeshare management at SAS is particularly intensive. With SchedConnect, we are offering our customer a system that can reliably process the mass and complexity of data from its 23 codeshare partners,” explained Marco Cesa, Senior Vice President Regional Management EMEA at Lufthansa Systems.

SAS consists of three Scandinavian carriers from Denmark; Norway and Sweden. The airline has its base in Stockholm and is one of the leading airlines in Europe. From its hubs in Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm SAS serves destinations worldwide with a fleet of 132 aircraft.

Picture description: “SchedConnect’s graphical visualization of codeshare connections facilitates user’s understanding of complex and comprehensive co-operations.”

• Carrier joins growing circle of customers using Lufthansa Systems navigation charts in Europe

Kelsterbach, Germany | October 18, 2013– Scandinavian airline SAS has opted for Lufthansa Systems’ navigation charts Lido/RouteManual and Lido/Enroute. In addition to paper charts the airline will also be using the app Lido/iRouteManual.SAS will thus benefit from the charts’ clear structure and easy legibility. Lido/RouteManual provides cockpit crews with the latest set of aeronautical data and information, making their work considerably easier especially during key flight phases such as take-off and landing. The recently-signed five-year contract furthermore includes the Lido/FMS flight management system.

The Lufthansa Systems navigation charts are generated directly from the company’s Lido navigation database. The chart solution Lido/RouteManual and its complements Lido/iRouteManual for iPads and Lido/Enroute include airport taxiway charts, approach and take-off charts, and a seamless worldwide route chart. They display true-to-scale geographic information such as terrain features and rivers.The navigation charts’ clear color-coding and self-explanatory symbols support visual thinking.

“Thanks to the navigation charts from Lufthansa Systems, we can continue a our paperless process in SAS which helps us to save both fuel and resources.” said Per Schrøder, VP Vice President &Flight Operations, Scandinavian Airlines. “The possibility to use the Lido/iRouteManual for iPads also contributed to SAS’ choice for Lufthansa Systems. These apps could offer pilots an opportunity to access professional navigation charts for instrument flights (IFR charts) on iPad.”

Furthermore, Lido/Enroute enables SAS to provide its pilots with a worldwide, fully dynamic and interactive enroute chart for all its flights on Apple’s iPad. The charts are supplemented with a DocView Management System, which offers management and reporting functions for determining download statistics.

The Lido/FMS (Flight Management System) database contains all important route information including altitude and airport data to enable the use of optimized routes on board modern aircraft to ensure most efficient engine power levels, ultimately resulting in fuel savings. The data can be tailored individually to the respective aircraft model and route.

“We are delighted to count SAS among the customers of our cockpit solutions. More than 50% of all commercial flights within Europe are now operated with flight deck solutions from Lufthansa Systems. Our navigation charts give the airline’s pilots access to all important information on all required routes and airports in a clear and easily legible layout.” said Marco Cesa, Senior Vice President Regional Management EMEA at Lufthansa Systems. The identical layout of the charts on either media – paper and iPad – combined with intuitive user interfaces yields highest flexibility in the introduction of electronic media in the cockpit.

SAS consists of three Scandinavian airlines from Denmark; Norway and Sweden. The airline has its base in Stockholm and is one of the leading airlines in Europe. From its hubs in Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm the airline serves destinations in the whole world with a fleet of 136 aircraft.

 

Brea, CA | September 9, 2013– Zodiac Inflight Innovations, previously The IMS Company, will soon be line-fit offerable with the support of its first line-fit customer Scandinavian Airlines (SAS).

SAS has chosen Zodiac Inflight Innovations for both line-fit and retrofit aircraft. The innovative RAVE™ IFE system will be installed on 7 retrofit aircraft (A330’s/A340’s) and 4 similarly configured long-range line-fit aircraft. SAS will be flying with RAVE™ in early 2015.

“RAVE was the best choice in terms of TCO, total cost of ownership, for SAS. RAVE meets all our requirements concerning innovation, enhanced passenger experience, cost, weight and maintenance. It is user friendly both for passengers and our crew members,” says Johan Mägi, Head of Onboard Product & Services.

While Zodiac Inflight Innovations has had much success in the airline retrofit market, and currently serves more than 20 loyal airline customers, entry into the line-fit market is a new and exciting opportunity. “This will not only expand the RAVE™ product line and customer base, but will bring a fresh outlook on affordability and choice to the line-fit market,” says Larry Girard, Executive Vice President of Business Development. Zodiac Inflight Innovations is eagerly pursuing other line-fit platforms to expand its product’s reach and better serve the airline market.

– Inflight roaming with AeroMobile now available on all major UK networks

London, UK | July 24, 2013– AeroMobile, the leading inflight mobile phone operator, has confirmed EE as its latest roaming partner. The move gives EE’s 26 million* customers across the UK the option to use their own mobile phones inflight.

AeroMobile already has over 220 agreements with mobile phone operators around the world including O2, Three and Vodafone in the UK.

Now passengers using any of the UK’s main mobile operators can make calls, text or browse online at 30,000ft, simply by connecting to the AeroMobile network.

So far this year, more than 120,000 UK-based passengers have used the AeroMobile service, sending 175,000 text messages and making 25,000 calls.

The AeroMobile service is active on 150 aircraft across nine airlines including Emirates, Etihad, SAS and Virgin Atlantic. All Virgin Atlantic flights between the US and London Gatwick offer the AeroMobile service, as well as selected flights from Manchester and Heathrow. Many flights from the UK to Dubai with Emirates and Etihad’s services from Heathrow to Abu Dhabi also provide AeroMobile connectivity.

“Adding EE to our portfolio of roaming partners opens up inflight connectivity to even more UK passengers,” says Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“EE joins the three other big operators in the UK in offering mobile customers the option to use their own phones inflight, and with more and more airlines offering the service, we expect to see increasing numbers of passengers opting to stay connected inflight. In fact, our research shows that 70 per cent of travellers would use their mobile inflight if they had the option.”

“So far this year, more than 7,000 flights have flown to or from the UK with the AeroMobile service onboard, and we’re adding more airlines and more routes every month,” continued Rogers.

Passengers who use the service are billed by their mobile phone operator, and prices vary depending on individual contracts. Prices are typically similar to ‘rest of world’ rates, or in some cases, lower.

– Airbus fleet will bring the airline into a new long haul future

France | June 25, 2013– Scandinavian carrier SAS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for eight A350 XWBs and four A330s, as part of its strategy to modernize its fleet with more fuel-efficient aircraft. The agreement was signed in the Nowegian capital, Oslo. The new A350-900s and A330-300s will join the airline’s existing fleet of 30 Airbus aircraft. Engine selection for the A330s will be announced by the airline at a later date.

Currently, SAS operates a fleet of 19 A320 Family aircraft, four A330s and seven A340s. The new wide-body aircraft will fit seamlessly into the airline’s fleet and deliver operational efficiencies and cost savings due to the commonality across the fleet, a feature unique to Airbus.

“The great technological improvements of this extensive fleet renewal plan give SAS a long haul fleet that will be top of class in the industry. It will truly increase our competitiveness and strengthen our customer offering – both with regard to comfort, service and efficiency. We look forward to welcoming our passengers on board these fuel efficient aircraft with extremely comfortable and quiet cabins,” said Rickard Gustafson, SAS Group President & CEO.

“We are delighted that SAS has underscored their confidence in Airbus by selecting our A330, which offers unbeatable economics and the highest level of operational reliability alongside the A350 XWB, the world’s most technologically advanced and efficient aircraft,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers.’’

The A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) is an all-new, mid-size long-range aircraft product line comprising three versions and seating between 270 and 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts. The A350 XWB Family will bring a step change in efficiency compared with existing aircraft in its size category, using 25 per cent less fuel and providing an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions.

The A330 Family, which spans 250 to 300 seats, and includes Freighter, VIP, and Military Transport/Tanker variants, has now attracted more than 1,200 orders, with around 900 aircraft flying with more than 100 operators worldwide. Ever since the original version of the A330-300 entered service, the hallmark has been its very efficient operating economics. Thanks to the introduction of numerous product improvements, it still remains the most cost-efficient and capable aircraft in its class operating today, and the family achieves average dispatch reliability above 99 percent.

London, UK | February 20, 2013– Global content agency Spafax has signed a long-term agreement with Scandinavia’s leading airline SAS to continue to provide video entertainment and for new audio, publishing and production services.

Spafax will continue to provide early-release Hollywood and Scandinavian films and award-winning TV dramas, documentaries, children’s TV, sports and current affairs programmes. Chinese and Japanese films will be aired on flights to and from Asia.

In addition Spafax will provide:

– A new in-flight audio entertainment service including:

business and lifestyle podcasts,
new channel themed around Scandinavian culture,
multi-lingual audio books,
ambient, classical, rock, jazz and pop music channels;
– A revamped in-flight entertainment guide featuring best picks, reviews and listings;

– Branded content marketing promos.

Sue Pinfold, Executive Vice President for IFE, Spafax said:

“We are delighted that after fourteen years SAS continues to trust us with their passengers’ content experience. We are now looking forward to extending how we do this in ever more engaging, new and innovative ways.”

Gunilla Ait El Mekki, Head of SAS Cabin Interior and IFEC said:

“Spafax continues to be our supplier of choice. They have the expertise and knowledge of our passengers, who are discerning and sophisticated, and know what they do and don’t want from their in-flight entertainment experience.