Carrier remains committed to purchase with partners
Financial problems are constraining Scandinavian Airlines' (SAS)plans for a new regional jet fleet, but the airline is still committed to a joint aircraft purchase with its Star Alliance partners.
After completing its recent fleet renewal plan, SAS said in its interim results earlier this month, "the SAS group has entered a period of very limited investment over the next three to four years". SASchief operating officer Soren Belin says that, although discussions on the Star Alliance common regional jet specification have progressed well, and SAS is still committed to the deal, "it is now a financial issue for us. It's a question of when we can afford it - we are not thinking about it now." He adds: "We have not made any decisions on when we will buy regional jets...there is a need for regional jets in our fleet within the next couple of years."
When talks began between Star carriers Air Canada, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, and SAS in June, the airlines said the order could be placed this year to bring the aircraft into service in 2005.
Belin adds that, until regional jets can be brought in, the airline's Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 fleet will remain on regional routes: the regional jets will take over the busiest routes, with Q400s moving to thinner routes.
Source: Flight International
