Your February feature on SAS included comments such as an SAS executive talking of 'a bunch of competitors snapping at SAS' heels'. I was surprised to find mention of smaller competitors at Stockholm, such as Braathens Safe, but no mention of Finnair.
We established Arlanda as our second hub in 1995, and we now serve eight major non-Finnish cities from there, including amongst others Berlin, London/Gatwick, Manchester, Munich and Milan, and this summer we will add Dublin, Bergen and Copenhagen. All these are in direct competition with SAS. In terms of international routes I believe we now offer more daily frequencies from Stockholm than any operator other than SAS.
You refer to 'SAS' de facto monopoly on Oslo-Stockholm', but Finnair has served this route for at least 20 years, albeit without the frequencies offered by SAS.
Colin Molloy
Senior manager aircraft programmes and technical sales
Finnair
Helsinki, Finland.
Source: Airline Business
