SAS close to being dethroned despite financial turnaround

Norwegian closing in on the lion’s share of passengers

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has revealed a stunning turnaround for the second quarter, posting a profit of 226 million kroner.

The result is a significant improvement compared to the same period last year when the airline presented a loss of 648 million kroner.

“This improvement was primarily driven by a positive trend for unit revenue, which climbed 6.8 percent. Income before tax was positively impacted by the divestment of two slot pairs at London Heathrow,” said Rickard Gustafson, the president and CEO of SAS.

“SAS is investing in the future, and the new, simplified collective agreements for pilots create the prerequisites for future expansion and, as a consequence, SAS is increasing its long-haul fleet by three additional aircraft.”

READ MORE: Q1 losses not as bad as anticipated for SAS

Norwegian closing in
But despite the positive results in the financial arena, SAS is on the cusp of being dethroned as the crown jewel of the Scandinavian skies.

According to the Norwegian newspaper Aftensposten, rival airline Norwegian could take over SAS’s position as the Scandinavian airline with the most passengers.

Norwegian continues to grow and purchase new aircraft and SAS only transported 50,000 more passengers than Norwegian in the month of May.

But despite potentially losing the ‘biggest in Scandinavia’ title the airline has held since it was founded almost 60 years ago in 1947, SAS isn’t concerned.

“It means nothing to us. Being the biggest is a phenomenon that only the media is concerned with,” Eivind Roald, the deputy head of sales and marketing, told TV2 News.

“The most important thing for us is continuing to be profitable. And then we consider growth.”




Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    An analysis from the Labour Movement’s Business Council shows that the rate in long-term unemployment for non-Western immigrants is 1.8 times higher than for Danes. In other words, a chronic unemployment situation is way more probable for non-Western internationals.

  • Minister proposes major changes to rules for international students in Denmark

    Minister proposes major changes to rules for international students in Denmark

    The increasing number of Nepalese students coming to Denmark and working in various industries, along with their spouses, is raising concerns within government ranks. Immigration and Integration Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek has announced his intention to introduce stricter rules for everyone.

  • Denmark to invest heavily in vocational education

    Denmark to invest heavily in vocational education

    The Danish government will allocate one billion DKK annually from 2030 to improve vocational education. The initiative aims to lower dropout rates, enhance training quality, and address labor shortages by increasing financial support for schools, teacher training, and international study opportunities.