| SAS AB | |
| Type: | Private State-owned (Denmark) |
| Area Served: | Europe |
| Key People: | Carsten Dilling (Chairman) Anko van der Werff (CEO) |
| Industry: | Aviation |
| Services: | Airline services |
| Revenue: | (2021)[1] |
| Operating Income: | (2021) |
| Net Income: | (2021) |
| Assets: | (2021) |
| Equity: | (2021) |
| Num Employees: | 7,532 (2021) |
| Subsid: | Scandinavian Airlines SAS Connect SAS Link SAS Cargo Group SAS Technical Services SAS Ground Handling |
| Founded: | , merger of ABA (1924), DDL (1918), and DNL (1927) |
| Location: | SAS Frösundavik Office Building, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden |
SAS AB,[2] trading as SAS Group, is an airline holding company headquartered in the SAS Frösundavik Office Building in Solna Municipality, Sweden. It is the owner of the airlines Scandinavian Airlines and SAS Connect. SAS once owned 19.9% of the now defunct Spanish airline Spanair as well as shares in Estonian Air and Skyways Express. SAS Group is owned by the American investment fund Castlelake with a 32% stake, the Government of Denmark through the Ministry of Finance with a 25.8% stake, the airline holding company Air France-KLM with a 19.9% stake and the Danish family office Lind Invest with a 8.6% stake.
The conglomerate was founded in 1951 as a merger between the three Scandinavian flag carriers Aerotransport (ABA—Sweden), Det Danske Luftfartselskab (DDL—Denmark), and Det Norske Luftfartselskap (DNL—Norway), after the three had been cooperating on international routes since 1946. Until 2001, the three national companies owned a fixed share of the SAS Group, after which the shares of the three companies were merged. The SAS Group previously owned the Rezidor Hotel Group (owner of the Radisson SAS brand) and Braathens and had a minority interest in bmi, airBaltic, Texas Air, Thai Airways International, and LAN Airlines. SAS was a founder of the Amadeus Computerised Reservation System and the Star Alliance, where several of the group's airlines are members. SAS runs the frequent flyer program EuroBonus.
The airline was founded on 1 August 1946 when Det Danske Luftfartselskab A/S, AB Aerotransport, and Det Norske Luftfartselskap AS (the flag carriers of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway) formed a partnership to handle intercontinental traffic to Scandinavia. Operations started on 17 September 1946. The companies then started coordination of European operations in 1948 and finally merged to form the current SAS Consortium in 1951. When established the airline was divided between SAS Danmark (28.6%), SAS Norge (28.6%), and SAS Sweden (42.8%), all owned 50% by private investors and 50% by their respective governments. SAS gradually acquired control of the domestic markets in all three countries by acquiring full or partial control of several local airlines. In May 1997 SAS formed the global Star Alliance network with Air Canada, Lufthansa, Thai Airways International, and United Airlines.
SAS Group is the main operational company in the SAS consortium. The SAS Group company structure looks as follows:
The SAS Group head office is currently in the SAS Frösundavik Office Building in, Solna Municipality, Sweden, in the Stockholm area.[4] [5]
The SAS Group head office was previously located on the grounds of the Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) in Sigtuna Municipality, Sweden.[6]
Before spring 2011, it was located in the SAS Frösundavik Office Building.[7] [8]
| Shareholder | Type of shareholder | Nationality | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castlelake | Investment fund |  United States | 32% |
| Ministry of Finance (Denmark)[9] | Government |  Denmark | 25.8% |
| Air France–KLM | Airline Group |  France Netherlands | 19.9% |
| Lind Invest | Family office | Denmark | 8.6% |
| Others (to be distributed) | |||
| Source: | [10] | ||
| Year ended | Passengers flown[11] | Employees (Average/Year) | Net profit/loss (SEK) | Basic eps (SEK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010[12] | 25,200,000 | 14,801 | -2,218,000,000 | -7.79 |
| 2009[13] | 24,900,000 | 18,786 | -2,947,000,000 | -18.20 |
| 2008[14] | 29,000,000 | 24,635 | -6,360,000,000 | -6.29 |
| 2007 | 29,200,000 | 26,538 | 1,234,000,000 | 3.87 |
| 2006 | 38,609,000 | 26,554 | 4,936,000,000 | 28.10 |
| 2005 | 36,312,000 | 32,363 | 418,000,000 | 1.06 |
| 2004 | 32,400,000 | 32,481 | -1,813,000,000 | -11.38 |
| 2003 | 31,004,000 | 34,544 | -2,221,000,000 | -8.60 |
| 2002 | 33,254,000 | 35,506 | -736,000,000 | -0.81 |
| 2001 | 35,640,000 | 31,035 | -1,140,000,000 | -6.58 |
| 2000* | 23,240,000 | 30,939 | 2,273,000,000 | 11.79 |
| 1999* | 21,991,000 | 30,310 | 1,846,000,000 | 8.41 |
The SAS Group fleet consists of the following aircraft as of November, 2023:[15]
| Type | SAS | On order | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | OY-KBO in retro livery | |||
| 11 | ||||
| 61 | 19 | 25 wet leased to SAS Connect | ||
| Airbus A321LR | 3 | |||
| ATR 72-600 | 7 | Operated by Nordica | ||
| Airbus A330-300 | 8 | |||
| Airbus A350-900 XWB | 4 | 2 | ||
| Bombardier CRJ900 | 11 | Operated by CityJet | ||
| 6 | Operated by Nordica | |||
| 10 | Operated by SAS Link | |||
| Total | 124 | 21 |
On January 4, 2010, the SAS Group announced the sales of 18 surplus MD-80 series aircraft to Allegiant Travel Company. The aircraft, built from 1985 to 1991, were delivered during the first half of 2010.[16]
On August 26, 2010, the SAS Group announced a 5-year lease agreement of 8 MD-90 series aircraft to an undisclosed US airline. The aircraft will be delivered between Q3-2010 and Q2-2011.
On April 10, 2018, the SAS Group announced a deal with Airbus for 35 new Airbus A320neos with another 15 being leased. These aircraft are meant to replace some of SAS's current A320s, as well as their Bombardier CRJ900's.[17] Bringing the total of the type to 80 aircraft.
The exhibits at the SAS Museum at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, in Norway, represent an important part of Scandinavian civil aviation history. The museum collections cover Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) as well as its parent companies: AB Aerotransport (ABA), Det Danske Luftfartselskab (DDL), and Det Norske Luftfartselskap (DNL). A museum was originally established in 1989 in the hangar area at Oslo Airport, Fornebu at the same time as the formation of the DNL/SAS Historic Society. It was built up through the efforts of a group of enthusiasts among retired and active SAS employees. The establishment of the new museum in 2003-2004 is a result of SAS feeling a responsibility to document the history of Scandinavian civil aviation. For this purpose, the airline has entered a partnership with its three national historic societies and the latter undertake the day-to-day work on a volunteer basis. SAS absorbs the rental cost of the museum building and has also provided depots for museum exhibits in Denmark and Sweden. The museum at Oslo's Gardermoen is therefore more than just a continuation of the facility at Fornebu – it is a completely new and considerably expanded Scandinavian museum. It is run by a board that includes representatives of the SAS consortium and the Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian historic societies.