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Scandinavian Airline SAS Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

"The airline is canceling more than half of its scheduled flights, adding to widespread travel disruptions already occurring across Europe. As of 8 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, SAS had canceled 236 flights, a whopping 78% of its daily volume, according to FlightAware. In Norway, these include 21% of flights departing Oslo Gardermoen Airport; 16% leaving Tromso Airport, and 15% of flights departing Trondheim and Kristiansand airports."

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2022/07/05/air-travel-summer-pilot-strikes-labor-unrest/

Posted by
16257 posts

A sad situation for what was once a premier airline. They pioneered the so-called polar route between the US and Scandinavia. Their service from Seattle to Copenhagen in the 1990’s was great. I flew that route often enough to be invited to their Seattle celebration of 50 years of partnership with Boeing.

I last flew SAS in 2007, and they seemed to be heading downhill. They discontinued their Seattle flights shortly after that.

Posted by
570 posts

Well, this is probably not a good sign for my flight in late August on SAS from San Francisco to Copenhagen then a connecting flight on Swiss Air to Zurich (same ticket).

Posted by
49 posts

Very sad.

When we had a flight with them a couple of months ago, there was not even a gate for the plane. We were bused ten minutes out to a field and climbed aboard the plane up a long, movable staircase. (Munich)

Makes me wonder if the airlines had stopped paying for gates.

Posted by
317 posts

Well, this is probably not a good sign for my flight in late August on SAS from San Francisco to Copenhagen then a connecting flight on Swiss Air to Zu

same. We have a September flight LAX-CDG with a layover in CPH. And the reverse coming back. Ayi yi yi Looking at different flights now. Still have CC protection. Do I let it run? Or cut & run. Decisions...

Posted by
6379 posts

I last flew SAS in 2007, and they seemed to be heading downhill.

They probably had started heading uphill by then. Then had a real dip around the turn of the century, but managed to get their act together and improve. They replaced their 767s with A330s and began a journey back to what they once were. And in 2015 they introduced new business class that are great.

Well, this is probably not a good sign for my flight in late August on
SAS from San Francisco to Copenhagen then a connecting flight on Swiss
Air to Zurich (same ticket).

We have a September flight LAX-CDG with a layover in CPH. And the
reverse coming back.

It is of course impossible to predict the future, but the point of bankruptcy protection is to be able to ride out the storm. The bigger problem for those who have SAS tickets is the current pilot strike. But for an August or September flight I would not be worried it those were my tickets.

When we had a flight with them a couple of months ago, there was not
even a gate for the plane. We were bused ten minutes out to a field
and climbed aboard the plane up a long, movable staircase. (Munich)
Makes me wonder if the airlines had stopped paying for gates.

That usually depends more on the airport than the airline.

Posted by
570 posts

Any developments of note on strike, in terms of how long it will be? Any negotiations etc.?

Posted by
134 posts

There are no news to report.

At this point, nobody know when or how the strike will end.

A few days ago, I saw an interview with an economist, who said the most likely outcome is a 2-3 week long strike. But that's just a quick analysis from some economist working for a bank.

SAS' mechanics have started a sympathy strike. However, SAS say they can get their aircrafts maintained elsewhere during the sympathy strike.