Latest News 2006

Archive "Latest news": 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

New from this year!
We will try to update this list with short latest news from within the SAS Group and also news related to the STAR Alliance members.

	Date	Topic
	18DEC	Turkish Airlines becomes a new member of Star Alliance
		With its home base in Istanbul, situated at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, Turkish Airlines can offer excellent connections to Central Asia and the Middle East. Turkish Airlines was founded in 1933 and initially had a fleet of five aircraft. Today, Turkish Airlines has 101 aircraft serving four continents with a total of 103 international and 28 domestic destinations.
	12DEC	SAS launches biometrics at airports all over Sweden
		Scandinavian Airlines Sverige is now launching the new biometric system throughout Sweden. The system makes the check-in process easier and improves security by using passenger fingerprints, which are matched to the checked baggage.The new technology will be launched during November and December at almost all airports served by SAS in Sweden.
	30NOV	New destinations from Scandinavian Airlines Sverige
		Scandinavian Airlines Sverige is opening three new routes from Stockholm - to Bergen, Lyon and Bristol - in time for the summer vacation season. This means that Scandinavian Airlines Sverige will add a total of nine new destinations to its network next year. The airline is also increasing the number of seats available on its existing routes to the leisure destinations Nice, Istanbul, Athens and Split.
	29NOV	New strategic partnership between THAI and SAS
		Thai Airways International Public Company Limited and Scandinavian Airlines today signed a code share-agreement to offer services beyond their respective destinations. The code share agreement will include services to/from Bangkok-Singapore/Hong Kong/Kuala Lumpur/Sydney from December 15, 2006, and Bangkok-Melbourne/Brisbane/Auckland/Perth from January 15, 2007, as well as to/from Copenhagen-Oslo/Gothenburg/Aalborg/Aarhus from December 15, 2006.
	27NOV	EU and Russia agree to scrap charges
		At the EU-Russia Summit in Helsinki last week, the European Commission and Russia reached an agreement that the special system of charges for flying over Siberia shall be abolished from January 1, 2014. Today’s charges are an additional burden to standard overflying charges.
	24NOV	Lufthansa passengers to print boarding cards from home computer
		Lufthansa passengers can now print their own boarding cards from their office or home computer. All that is required is an electronic ticket, an Internet connection and a printer. Scandinavian Airlines expects to be able to offer a similar service at some point during the late winter.
	16NOV	SAS Sverige to add five new routes in Europe
		SAS Sverige continues to expand and will launch a further five direct routes from Stockholm to Europe in the spring. The first will be Munich, followed by the launch of routes to Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Glasgow and Reykjavik.
	09NOV	Austrian opens route to Iraq in December
		The Austrian Airlines Group will become the first European airline to be granted the right to operate scheduled services into Iraq in the near future. Preparations are now well underway to fly to the city of Erbil in Northern Iraq from 11 December 2006. The service will operate twice a week out of Vienna. The Austrian Airlines Group will fly its scheduled route to Erbil using an Airbus A319.
	09NOV	Koala bears in SAS Business Class
		SAS’s Business Lounge was visited by two important guests requiring special attention on Tuesday. The guests were two three-year old koala bears, Teddy and Freddy, who flew with SAS from Stockholm to Copenhagen before their connecting flight with SAS to Seattle.
	08NOV	Ola H Strand new President of SAS Braathens
		SAS Braathens has appointed Ola H. Strand as its new President. Strand, who is currently the President of SAS Group subsidiary SAS Ground Services (SGS) in Norway will assume his new position on November 15. He will take over from Johnny Skoglund, who has been the Acting President of SAS Braathens since the summer.
	07NOV	Spanair launches operations in San Sebastian
		Spanair launches the San Sebastian - Madrid route, which will initially feature two daily flights from Madrid and two from San Sebastian. The flights allows for the possibility of connections with Spaniar's large network of domestic flights, as well as with the international destinations offered by Star Alliance, of which Spanair is a member.
	07NOV	TAP purchases Portugália
		TAP is purchasing 99.81 percent of airline Portugália. The transaction was concluded today and the purchase price is EUR 140 M.
	06NOV	Scandinavian Airlines Sverige to launch new route to Trondheim
		Scandinavian Airlines Sverige is to open a new, direct route between Stockholm/Arlanda and Trondheim. The service will commence on March 5. Initially, the route will comprise one return flight per day.
	01NOV	SAS Braathens wants to serve Murmansk
		SAS Braathens has applied for a concession to operate between Tromsø and Murmansk and Oslo and Murmansk from the summer of 2007.
	31OCT	Lufthansa opens route between Munich and Busan
		With the beginning of the summer timetable 2007, Lufthansa will become the first European airline to offer a new direct connection from Munich to Busan, South Korea's most important port. Starting 27 March 2007 an Airbus A340-300 will then link three times a week Munich with Seoul, South Korea's capital and biggest city, and on an ongoing flight with Busan.
	31OCT	SAS has the best wine
		A survey conducted by Swedish publication Travel News has ranked SAS as having the best white and red wine on board intercontinental flights, while Finnair is praised for having the best champagne.
	30OCT	bmi launches first medium haul route from London Heathrow
		Partly SAS-owned bmi, has launched its daily return service between London Heathrow and Moscow Domodedovo. bmi has a commercial agreement with Transaero, which sees the Russian Federation carrier simultaneously launch the route, effectively doubling the number of return flights between the two airports to four a day.
	27OCT	Free Internet access onboard SAS long-haul flights for rest of the year
		Connexion by Boeing has decided not to charge for the use of its onboard Internet connection for the last months of the year. Therefore, Scandinavian Airlines International is offering the service free of charge until it is withdrawn at the end of the year.
	26OCT	SAS flies for MTV
		In conjunction with one of the largest events ever held in Copenhagen, the MTV Europe Music Awards 2006, which will be televised in 179 countries and have up to 1.4 billion viewers, SAS has been chosen as the "Official Carrier" for MTV employees in partnership with Wonderful Copenhagen (WOCO).
	25OCT	Scandinavian Airlines Danmark to double service to Nice for the summer
		SAS operates daily between Copenhagen and Nice both summer and winter. Next summer, production will be increased for the peak season, that is, between June 16 and August 2, from once to twice daily.
	24OCT	Live music at baggage reclaim in Copenhagen
		On November 2, 2006, Copenhagen will host this year's MTV Europe Music Awards, and in the week leading up to this major event, Copenhagen Music Week will focus on the international potential of the Copenhagen music scene, with about 100 concerts throughout the city.
	24OCT	More flights and new destinations for airBaltic during the winter
		During winter traffic season (October 29, 2006 - March 24, 2007) airBaltic is increasing flight frequency and number of destinations, thus allowing for more convenient transit flights from Sweden via Riga to number of destinations. In Sweden airBaltic offers flights Stokholm – Riga and Vilnius; Gothenburg -Riga. In all, this winter airBaltic will operate 33 direct flights from Riga and 12 from Vilnius, as well as direct flight between Kaliningrad and Copenhagen.
	20OCT	Spanair adds flights between Barcelona and Lanzarote
		From October the 29th and over the duration of the winter season, Spanair will begin operating 6 weekly flights between Barcelona and Lanzarote, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, increasing on the two weekly connections that are currently operated from the Catalan capital.
	20OCT	airBaltic increases frequencies on flights to Sweden
		Starting now, Latvian airline airBaltic is lowering its starting prices on direct flights from Riga to Stockholm and Gothenburg. With the beginning of the winter season on 29th October, airBaltic will increase the number of flights on the Riga – Stockholm route to three per day.
	19OCT	Blue1 fully booked after Finnair strike
		All of the SAS Group's flights to, from and within Finland are now practically fully booked due to the cabin strike in Finnair that began early this morning. During the strike, Finnair is only able to operate about 10 percent of its normal traffic program.
	18OCT	EU establishes new rules for liquids on board aircraft
		Yesterday, the EU published the new rules that restrict the amount of liquid passengers are permitted to take through security checkpoints at airports in Europe. The new rules will apply from November 6.
	18OCT	New CEO well received in media
		Despite, at least in Sweden, tough news competition, there was strong attendance when SAS’s new CEO was presented at a press conference in Frösundavik yesterday. In addition to the slots in the broadcast media on Monday and yesterday morning, some 40 articles about Mats Jansson have been published in leading Scandinavian dailies.
	17OCT	airBaltic sells lottery tickets onboard
		airBaltic has signed a cooperation agreement with the state-run Latvian Lottery allowing the airline to sell lottery tickets in flight. As from this week, airBaltic passengers is able to buy Lasis instant lottery tickets in the new Fly series while in the air, and will have the chance to win a wide range of prizes including cash prizes, airBaltic tickets and the grand prize, a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.
	16OCT	Mats Jansson new President and CEO of SAS
		The Board of Directors of SAS AB today appointed Mats Jansson new President and CEO of SAS. He is 54 and was most recently President and CEO of Axel Johnson AB with sales of some SEK 43 billion and 14,000 employees in 25 countries. The Johnson Group works in areas ranging from distribution of consumer products to industrial production.
	10OCT	Scandinavian Airlines Sverige starts flights to Riga
		On October 30, SAS Sverige will launch another new route, Stockholm – Riga. Flights will depart from Arlanda at 13:15 and depart from Riga at 15:55. The departures from Riga to Stockholm strengthen Arlanda’s position as a hub for travel to and from the Baltic region and onward to Europe.
	05OCT	Further delays to the Airbus A380 programme
		Star Alliance-member, Singapore Airlines will suffer a further delay to the deliveries of the 19 A380 aircraft ordered. The first of the giant aircraft will now be scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2007, and deliveries of subsequent aircraft will occur in 2008 and beyond.
	03OCT	airBaltic to launch flights from Riga to Gothenburg
		On 29 October this year, airBaltic will launch direct flights to Gothenburg. This will be the 34th direct flight launched from Riga in time for the winter season. By the end of the year, airBaltic will have opened 18 direct new routes in all.
	29SEP	489 EuroBonus members upgraded to Pandion
		Every spring, a few of SAS most important customers are invited into the exclusive Pandion group. This year, a further 489 most frequent EuroBonus Gold members are upgraded to Pandion on 1st October, to reward them for their outstanding loyalty to SAS.
	29SEP	Blue1 third best airline in Europe
		ERA - the European Regions Airline Association - awarded Blue1 "Bronze Award Airline of the Year 2006/2007". The prize was given to Blue1 in association with the ERA General Assembly in Barcelona on 28 September.
	29SEP	SAS sells tickets at 10 km altitude
		On October 1, SAS Scandinavian Airlines Danmark will start selling tickets at an altitude of 10 kilometers. A total of eight million passengers a year is practically the same as eight million customers with whom SAS has direct and personal dialogues. According to SAS Surprice, this an excellent starting point for introducing ticket sales of SAS's own products onboard.
	28SEP	Restrictions regarding liquids on European flights
		The European Commission's Aviation Security Committee has approved changes to the rules for security checks on flights. One important detail is the restriction on the amount of liquid that can be carried in hand baggage. The new rules will be implemented in November. Within six months, joint rules on the size of hand baggage will also be introduced.
	28SEP	airBaltic in codeshare agreement on flights to Tashkent
		Latvian airline airBaltic has signed a codeshare agreement with leading Uzbek carrier Uzbekistan Airways. Starting on 29 October this year, flights from Riga to Tashkent will receive an airBaltic flight code.
	26SEP	Widerøe to take two aircraft out of operation
		The financial situation in Widerøe has resulted in a decision to reduce the fleet by two aircraft and to discontinue the route between Stockholm and Trondheim from December 16.
	25SEP	Testing of infrared hangar continuing
		The new infrared de-icing hangar, which was opened for testing at Gardemoen in January 2006, will continue with testing during the next winter season.
	22SEP	New restrictions for cabin baggage in UK
		All passengers starting their journey at a UK airport and those transferring from international flights at a UK airport are required to be aware of the following: The size restriction to passenger cabin baggage is removed as from September 22, 2006.
	22SEP	Estonian Air adds weekly flight to Milan
		Beginning from 29 October, Estonian Air will be flying to Milan three times a week, with a new flight added to the current schedule. Flights to Milan will depart from Tallinn on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Estonian is also going to land at Malpensa airport, instead of Bergamo.
	22SEP	Lufthansa expands and modernises fleet
		The Lufthansa Supervisory Board has approved an order for 35 new aircraft. From 2007, Lufthansa will take delivery of a total of 30 new short- and medium-range aircraft: five Airbus A319s, ten Airbus A320s and 15 Airbus A321s. Lufthansa has also taken options on a further 30 aircraft of the A320 family. In addition, the Supervisory Board gave the goahead for Lufthansa to order five long-range Airbus A330s.
	21SEP	Scandinavian Airlines Sverige expands to Germany and the Baltic States
		Scandinavian Airlines Sverige is set to increase capacity on several routes in Europe. The Baltic States and Germany are first, with a doubling of the number of flights from Stockholm to both Tallinn and Düsseldorf. In mid-March, during the Cebit trade fair in Germany, Scandinavian Airlines Sverige will also fly nonstop to Hanover.
	21SEP	airBaltic to launch scheduled flights to Egypt in September
		On 30 September, airBaltic will launch scheduled flights to two of Egypt's most popular resorts, Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, in cooperation with tour operator Tez Tours. Flights to Hurghada will be opened on 30 September, while flights to Sharm el-Sheikh will start on 14 October.
	20SEP	Widerøe to discontinue flight between Bergen and Newcastle
		The route between Bergen and Newcastle is to be discontinued from October 28, with capacity being transferred to Aberdeen and Edinburgh. The route has had a low load factor and has operated at a loss.
	18SEP	Distinguished visitor for the SAS 60th birthday
		82-year old Rupert Hansen, who piloted SAS’s first flight 60 years ago, was given a tour of the cockpit when he visited Denmark to celebrate SAS’s birthday.
	15SEP	SAS has the best annual report
		SAS was awarded the Farmand Prize for the Best Annual Report of Norwegian listed companies. SAS won the prize ahead of Orkla and Norsk Hydro.
	15SEP	Star Alliance voted best airline alliance at Business Traveller awards
		Star Alliance has been voted Best Airline Alliance at the Business Traveller Awards held in London.
	15SEP	New Danish website takes to the air
		So, it has finally happened. The new sas.dk has taken to the air. At 7:26 p.m. on Wednesday, the new sas.dk was launched. The new sas.dk is far more user-friendly, and it will be much easier to find inexpensive tickets.
	12SEP	SAS celebrates 60 years
		On Sunday, September 17, SAS, Scandinavian Airlines System, will celebrate its 60th anniversary as an airline. Sixty years ago, the airline undertook its first scheduled transatlantic flight, from Stockholm-Bromma to New York. Today SAS is sending out the following Press Release.
	05SEP	SAS launches direct flight from Stockholm to Beijing
		Coinciding with the East-Indiaman Götheborg’s presence in China, SAS announces an increase in traffic to China with the launch of the coveted Stockholm-Beijing route in April 2007.
	04SEP	Spanair opens route between Madrid and Stuttgart
		From 29th October, Spanair will connect the cities of Madrid and Stuttgart, offering a daily return flight everyday of the week. Flight schedules will be specifically adapted to the needs of the business traveller.
	01SEP	The new airport in Bangkok soon open to traffic
		In two weeks, Bangkok’s new international airport, Suvarnaabhumi Airport, will finally open. The airport that is to replace the present Don Mueang Airport is approximately 25 kilometers east of the Thai capital and will be equipped with the world’s highest air traffic control tower, which stands at 132 meters.
	01SEP	Spanair opens five new domestic routes
		From the 29th of October Spanair will be starting five new routes in the domestic market, connecting the city of Madrid with Granada, San Sebastián and Almería, as well as Barcelona with Valencia and Granada.
	01SEP	Estonian Air adds more flights to Frankfurt and Brussels
		On 29 October Estonian Air introduces the winter flight schedule. The new schedule will see more frequent flights to Frankfurt and Brussels, and flights to Dublin will resume as a response to customer's wishes.
	31AUG	SAS passengers encouraged to help Save the Children
		On Sunday, announcements will be made to SAS passengers to Copenhagen that collectors for Save the Children will be at Copenhagen Airport. Hundreds of SAS employees, led by President of SAS Danmark, Susanne Larsen, will also participate in collecting funds – either at the airport or in the local area where they live.
	29AUG	airBaltic opens direct flights to Zurich
		On 29 October this year, airBaltic will begin direct flights to Zurich. This will be airBaltic’s 34th direct flight from Riga and the tenth new route opened this year.
	28AUG	Government chooses SAS in Gothenburg, Malmö and Umeå
		The Swedish government has selected SAS as its suppliers on all the domestic routes that have recently been procured: between Stockholm and Gothenburg, Stockholm and Malmö and Stockholm and Umeå, as well as between Umeå and Gothenburg and Umeå and Malmö.
	25AUG	Budapest route discontinued
		SAS Danmark has decided to discontinue the Copenhagen-Budapest route at the end of the summer traffic program for 2006. The final departures will be on October 28, 2006.
	24AUG	Air Greenland launches route to the US
		Part SAS-owned Air Greenland will launch a route to Baltimore, in the US, in May next year. The route will be the company’s first to the US and flights will be operated from the old closed-down American air base in Kangerlussuaq on the west coast of Greenland.
	22AUG	Boeing companies to discontinue onboard Internet
		After six years, Boeing has announced that it will close its Connexion by Boeing unit at the end of the year. The unit has provided passengers onboard with satellite-based Internet connections.
	22AUG	Lufthansa resumes flights to Lebanon
		Lufthansa is to resume flights on the Frankfurt-Beirut route tomorrow. The service has been completely suspended since July 20 due to the war, but the airport in Beirut has now reopened and Lufthansa has opted to start flying again until further notice.
	21AUG	Retro painted SAS aircraft already in operation
		Scandinavian Airlines Danmark received delivery of its first Airbus A319, earlier than expected. The new aircraft type was originally supposed to begin flying at the end of the month but the aircraft was completed earlier than expected and was put into operation last week. In honor of the 60th anniversary, the first aircraft has retro livery.
	14AUG	New rules for Cabin Baggage from London Heathrow
		From tomorrow, Aug, 15th, only one piece of hand baggage per passenger is permitted as long as it does not contain any items which must be placed in hold baggage.
	14AUG	Rules for Hand luggage on SAS flights to USA
		With immediate effect until further notice passengers may not have liquids, gels or aerosols of any size at the screening checkpoint or in the cabin of the aircraft on SAS flights to USA.
	26JUL	Evacuation flights Lebanon summary
		The evacuation flights required by the crisis in Lebanon were conducted from July 15 and have now been completed in accordance with the orders from the Scandinavian ministries for foreign affairs. No further flights are expected to take place. A total of 7,905 persons were evacuated on a total of 50 flights, mainly from Damascus in Syria and Larnaca in Cyprus (Kypros), of which 23 were operated by Scandinavian Airlines Danmark, 7 by SAS Braathens and 20 by Scandinavian Airlines Sverige.
	17JUL	Evacuation flights Lebanon
		Due to the situation in war-torn Lebanon, the ministries for foreign affairs in the three Scandinavian countries have requested evacuation flights to bring home their nationals. Flights have been ordered from Scandinavian Airlines Danmark, Scandinavian Airlines Sverige and SAS Braathens.
	13JUL	bmi opens route to Moscow Domodedovo from London Heathrow
		Partly SAS-owned bmi and Russian Federation carrier Transaero will both launch daily return flights on 29th October at the start of the winter timetable period. The new services from Heathrow are part of a commercial agreement signed by the two carriers. This will double the number of return flights to Moscow Domodedovo from Heathrow to four round trips per day.
	13JUL	Blue1 from Helsinki to Brussels
		Blue1 starts operations between Helsinki and Bryssel on 29 October 2006. The flights will be operated two times per week on Fridays and Sundays with MD-90 aircraft seating 166 passengers. In addition to the direct flight Blue1 and the SAS Group offer daily connections from Finland via Copenhagen and Stockholm to Brussels.
	30JUN	New Head of Flight Operations for Scandinavian Airlines
		Captain Ola Reinholdt will take office on July 1 as the new Head of Flight Operations at Scandinavian Airlines, SAS SOM, Scandinavian Operations Management.
	27JUN	Scandinavian Airlines Danmark increases flights to Palanga
		In November 2004, SAS Scandinavian Airlines Danmark entered into a partnership with Cimber Air concerning the wet lease of two CRJ200regional jets. The idea was to test smaller markets and attempt to build them up, so that larger SAS aircraft could then operate the route when the market was sufficiently mature. One of the destinations that SAS Airlines Danmark chose to test was a direct route between Copenhagen and Palanga in Lithuania.
	27JUN	SAS uses biometrics for easier and smoother baggage control
		Precise Biometrics AB (publ.) has been selected as the overall supplier to Scandinavian Airlines as it becomes the first airline to introduce biometric security checks on domestic flights in Sweden.
	15JUN	Jørgen Lindegaard to leave SAS on August 1
		Following today’s meeting of the Board of Directors of SAS AB, SAS President and CEO Jørgen Lindegaard announced that he will formally leave his position on August 1, 2006.
	14JUN	Crossing the line in Gothenburg in Volvo Ocean Race
		SAS is one of the sponsors of the Volvo Ocean Race and it is now time for the yachts to cross the finishing line in Gothenburg after a tough round-the-world race. If you are in Gothenburg between June 15 and 18 – this weekend – you should definitely take the opportunity to visit the SAS marquee in the Race Village on Lindholmen.
	11JUN	Petter Jansen leaves position as CEO of SAS Braathens
		Petter Jansen, Chief Executive Officer of SAS Braathens, the Norwegian company within Scandinavian Airlines Businesses, will leave his position. He and the Board of the company have different views on a number of vital issues concerning the conpany's future strategies.
	07JUN	airBaltic launches direct flights to Kaliningrad
		On 2 July this year, airBaltic will open direct flights to the Russian city of Kaliningrad, in cooperation with Pulkovo airlines. The flight will be airBaltic's 32nd direct flight from Riga.
	22MAY	Air China Limited to become a Star Alliance Member Carrier
		Air China Limited (“Air China”) and the Star Alliance, the airline network for Earth™, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding confirming an invitation for Air China to join the alliance.
	18MAY	airBaltic starts flights to Tel Aviv
		On 5th June airBaltic will commence direct flights from Riga to Tel Aviv, Israel. This will be the airlines 31st direct flight from Riga.
	17MAY	bmi regional to start direct flights between Southampton and Amsterdam
		bmi regional, part of the bmi group and a subsidiary of bmi will launch its first ever services from the airport with a direct service to Amsterdam, beginning 29 October 2006.
	16MAY	Jörgen Lindegaard to leave SAS Group in the autumn
		The President and CEO of SAS Group, Jörgen Lindegaard, today informed the Board of Directors that he intends to leave SAS in the autumn of 2006. He has headed SAS since May 2001. No successor has been appointed as yet.
	12MAY	SAS Braathens to launch route between Oslo and Madrid
		SAS Braathens is launching Oslo – Madrid as a new route, June 1. This will be the airline’s 28th international destination and the 11th international route to be added this year. SAS Braathens will operate Oslo - Madrid return three times weekly and the timetable will provide good onward connections from both cities.
	10MAY	Skyways resumes Copenhagen service from Karlstad
		On Monday, May 15, SAS-owned Skyways will resume flights between Karlstad and Copenhagen. The route was discontinued as recently as March this year because of poor profitability.
	10MAY	Spanair opens route between Madrid and La Palma
		As from Tuesday,16 May, Spanair links the city of Madrid with the island of La Palma and offers three return flights a week with time-tables adapted to holiday traffic which will allow excellent connections with the European cities of Lisbon and Stockholm.
	02MAY	Widerøe launches direct route between Tromsø and Bergen
		In the summer, Widerøe will make it easier to travel between northern and western Norway. During the period July 2 – August 13, the airline will operate direct flights between Tromsø and Bergen. The route will operate six days a week using new 76-seater, fast Dash 8-Q400 aircraft.
	02MAY	airBaltic starts flying directly on Tbilisi and Baku
		On 2nd May - member of SAS Group, Latvian airline airBaltic will start direct flights from Riga to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and tomorrow – on May 3 – to Baku, tha capital of Azerbaijan.
	02MAY	Skyways introduces larger aircraft
		From August 20, Skyways, which is part-owned by SAS, will begin to operate the Halmstad-Arlanda route using larger aircraft: the AVRO RJ 100 with capacity for 112 passengers.
	21APR	bmi Mumbai flights go daily
		Starting tomorrow Saturday 22 April, bmi increases its popular four times weekly direct service to Mumbai to daily. This follows a successful start for the route, which celebrates its first anniversary in May.
	18APR	New Spanair routes from Madrid and Barcelona to Zurich
		Starting May 1 Spanair will link Madrid and Barcelona with Zurich in Switzerland offering two return flights daily from Madrid (Monday to Friday) and one return flight from Barcelona.
	07APR	Two new members for Star Alliance
		Today, Swiss became an official member in Star Alliance, and on Monday, April 10, it is the turn of South African Airways.
	31MAR	New CFO at Scandinavian Airlines Danmark
		SAS Scandinavian Airlines Danmark has appointed 39-year-old Morten Leth as its new CFO. SAS' new financial director in Denmark joins SAS from the position of Vice President, Business Controlling at Carlsberg Breweries A/S, where he has been responsible for the company's management reporting, budget and improvement projects.
	27MAR	bmi opens route between Aberdeen and Amsterdam
		Partly SAS-owned bmi is opening a direct connection between Aberdeen and Amsterdam. Launching today (Monday 27 March) the new service departs for Amsterdam three times daily
	27MAR	New SAS Braathens prefix as of March 27
		SAS Braathens is to change its prefix as of the start of the summer program. The new prefix will use a combination of BU and SK in different systems. When booking flights on the Internet, for example, customers will see SK850(BU) on flights operated by SAS Braathens.
	24MAR	Flight check in by mobile phone
		SAS Braathens is the first airline in Norway to establish a mobile portal that can be downloaded to a mobile phone. In addition to the capability of flight check-in.
	22MAR	airBaltic and Aeroflot sign codeshare agreement
		airBaltic has signed a codeshare agreement with Russia's leading airline, Aeroflot. From 26th March 2006 onwards, all flights on the Riga-Moscow route will be allocated both airBaltic and Aeroflot flight numbers.
	10MAR	Scandinavian Airlines awarded for sustainability and environmental work
		Scandinavian Airlines has received the Best in Class award for airlines, mainly due to its favorable environmental work. The award, which was presented in Oslo, was established by the Norwegian insurance company Storebrand, which is an important Norwegian investor.
	03MAR	SAS International discontinues route between Bangkok and Singapore
		Effective April 1, SAS International will no longer operate the final leg on the Copenhagen-Bangkok-Singapore route.
	02MAR	Estonian Air launches direct flights to Barcelona
		From 14 May 2006 Estonian Air passengers will be able to fly direct between Tallinn and Barcelona. The flights to Spain will at first be making four scheduled departures a week.
	28FEB	Widerøe starter nye direkteruter til Storbritannia
		Widerøe styrker sin satsning på ruter til Storbritannia fra vestlandet, og starter direkteflygninger mellom Bergen og Edinburgh og Newcastle fra 26. mars. Det blir tre ukentlige rundturer med 50-seters Dash 8-300.
	27FEB	SAS Sverige flyger hem fler svenska OS medaljörer
		SAS Sverige firar idag det bästa svenska OS någonsin genom att flyga hem flera av landets guldmedaljörer. Två SAS plan, ett ordinarie och en special flygning, flyger idag hem hjältarna från Italien. Flight SK690 ankommer till Arlanda cirka 15.30 och ombord finns Tre Kronor som igår vann guld mot Finland i OS finalen i hockey. Beräknat klockan 17.30 landar nästa flight SK7036.
	23FEB	Damkronorna flyger hem med SAS
		I måndags tog Sveriges damlandslag i hockey OS-Silver och hela svenska folket jublade. I dag torsdag den 23 februari flyger SAS till Italien och hämtar hem Damkronorna. Avresa med SK 7036 klockan 13.20 från Turin med enbart kvinnlig besättning och ankomst klockan 16.00 på Arlanda.
	30JAN	Ny direkterute mellom Trondheim og Stockholm
		Widerøe starter direkteflygninger mellom Trondheim og Stockholm fra 26. mars, med tre daglige rundturer på hverdager, en på lørdag og to på søndag. Flytiden mellom Trondheim og den svenske hovedstaden blir 1 time og 35 minutter, noe som er inntil én time raskere enn å fly via Oslo som i dag.
	27JAN	Ny SAS rute mellem København og Turku
		Søndag den 5. marts åbner SAS Danmark en ny rute mellem København og Turku – som er regionalt center i det sydvestlige Finland og den 3. største by i Finland.
	19JAN	SAS och Luftfartsverket skriver flyghistoria
		En Boeing 737 från SAS genomförde idag den första flygningen någonsin där navigeringssystemet ombord kommunicerade med inflygningssystemet på Arlanda så att flygningen blev så effektiv som möjligt. Det var en reguljär flygning mellan Luleå och Stockholm. De optimerade inflygningarna (4DT) kallas även för ”Green Approaches” eftersom de syftar till att reducera bränslekonsumtion, utsläpp och buller.
	19JAN	SAS launches new route to London City
		On February 13, Scandinavian Airlines Sverige will launch a new direct route to London City Airport. The airport is only ten kilometers from London's financial district and five kilometers from London's new business and financial center at Canary Wharf.
	18JAN	Grand opening of the first infrared de icing hangar in Europe
		SAS Ground Services Norway AS (SGS Norway) will today open Europe's first infrared de-icing hangar at Oslo Airport. The Minister of Transport and Communications, Liv Signe Navarsete, will carry out the opening.

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