SAS Braathens

SAS Braathens is Norway's largest airline and operates from its hub Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, and is also the largest national branch of Scandinavian Airlines.

SAS Braathens is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) Group and was established in the spring of 2004, based on SAS Norway and Braathens. SAS Braathens operates routes in Norway, and also between Norway and the rest of Europe. The airline is the largest in Norway, and has 440 departures daily. SAS Braathens carries around 9 million passengers per annum. Profit for the first half of 2005 came to NOK 206 million.

SAS Braathens has a route network covering 40 destinations from Longyearbyen in the north to Las Palmas in the south. The route network is operated by a total of 57 aircraft: 51 Boeing 737s and 6 Fokker 50s. SAS Braathens is a member of the global Star Alliance network. Since it was established in April 2004, SAS Braathens has created or announced a total of 18 new international routes. Around 3,750 employees work for the airline, which is based in Fornebu, close to Oslo.

History

Scandinavian Airlines

Main article: Scandinavian Airlines System

Scandinavian Airlines was founded on 1 August 1946 when the flag carriers of Denmark, Sweden and Norway formed a partnership to handle intercontinental traffic to Scandinavia. Operations started on 17 September 1946. Det Norske Luftfartselskab (DNL) is the former Norwegian flag carrier which was founded in 1927. The companies embarked on coordination of European operations in 1948 and finally merged to form the current SAS Consortium in 1951. Upon foundation 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. The ownership structure of SAS was changed in June 2001, with a holding company being created in which the holdings of the governments changed to Sweden (21.4%), Norway (14.3%) and Denmark (14.3%) and the remaining 50% publicly held and traded on the stock market.

Braathens

Main article: Braathens

Braathens was founded on March 26, 1946. For many years, Braathens was known as Braathens S.A.F.E, the latter part being an acronym standing for South American and Far East, for the destinations Braathens originally served. The company was founded by Norwegian ship owner Ludvig G. Braathen, with the intention of serving his ships in other parts of the world. In 2001 Braathens formed an alliance with KLM and Northwest Airlines. Alitalia was supposed to also join that alliance, but later decided not to. Braathens also dropped the SAFE from their name, and the company was known as Braathens until 2004. In 2001, after tough economic times, Braathens was bought by the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), although they were able to keep operating under their name until SAS Braathens became operative 1 April 2005.

SAS Braathens

The first months of 2006 were marked by conflict, and ill pilots caused several flights to be cancelled. Negotiations between cabin personnel and management failed on April 6, leading to a strike grounding most of the flights, though a deal between management and the unions ended the strike on April 8.

Today the airline is one of Norway's most prominent companies, but the lack of reliability caused by the number of cancelled and delayed flights has put the airline at the bottom of 140 Norwegian companies ranked by consumer confidence. The April 2006 strike benefitted SAS Braathens' main competitor, Norwegian Air Shuttle.

SAS Braathens CEO Petter Jansen was forced to leave office in June 2006 after disputes with the SAS management in Stockholm, causing much controversy and debate in Norway, since Petter Jensen was leading the only national branch of Scandinavian Airlines that made a profit.

Subsidiary airlines

SAS Group also owns Widerøe, a regional airline of Norway.

Destinations

Main article: SAS Braathens Destinations

SAS Braathens serves 46 destinations, 17 domestic and 29 European destinations. SAS Braathens have announced it will cease its flights from Sandefjord Airport, Torp from December 17, 2006. They have also announced that the flights between Bergen and Stavanger to Rome and Paris will end. Before the end of March 2007 the flight between Oslo and Vienna and Prague will stop. From April 2007 SAS Braathens will increase its departures between Oslo and some domestic destinations.

Fleet

Detail of the engine of the SAS Braathens aircraft LN-RRY "Signe Viking"

The SAS Braathens fleet includes the following aircraft as of August 2006:^[1]

Cabin

Scanorama, the company inflight magazine

• Domestic
  • One class: sandwiches and drinks are available for purchase.

• Intra-Scandinavia
  • One class: sandwiches and cold drinks are available for purchase. Breakfast, coffee and tea are free on intra-Scandinavian flights.

• Europe
  • Economy Class: sandwiches and drinks are available for purchase.
  • Economy Flex: a three-course cold meal or cold breakfast (shorter flights two-course meal) (Fast-track at the Security at ARN and CPH)
  • Business: a three-course hot meal or hot breakfast. On shorter flights a cold three-course meal is served. (Fast-track at the Security at ARN and CPH and access to lounges)

Euro Bonus

• Frequent flyer programs: SAS own program EuroBonus, also earns points on other Star Alliance Frequent flyer programs.
• Membership clubs: Fly Home Club, for Scandinavians living abroad.

SAS lounges

Locations

The following locations are SAS Scandinavian, Stockholm, and Business locations where SAS Braathens flies:

EuroBonus Gold card members are allowed to use partner clubs, which offer more clubs in more locations. For partner club information, visit www.flysas.com: [1]. See also: Scandinavian Airlines

References

1. ^ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006

• SAS Braathens callsign
• SAS Braathens callsign and ICAO code

Airlines of Norway
CHC Helikopter Service | Coast Air | Kato Air | Lufttransport | Norsk Helikopter | Norwegian | SAS Braathens | Widerøe</small>

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