SAS will start operating the Airbus A350 from 28 January 2020 and has revealed that the first of eight of the aircraft type it will receive is to fly from Copenhagen to Chicago.
The A350 will be based at the SAS hub at Copenhagen Airport and will operate on seven routes during the first year, including Chicago, Beijing, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong and San Francisco.
By end of 2019, the A350 will be delivered from the Airbus factory in Toulouse. Following delivery, it will fly training flights in Scandinavia during December and January to educate pilots and crew.
”We will shorten the distance from Scandinavia to cultures and important markets by serving worldwide destinations in an efficient and comfortable way. We look forward to welcoming our passengers on board this state-of the-art aircraft,” said Karl Sandlund, SAS executive vice president commercial.
“Our new fleet is incredibly well suited to Scandinavian travel patterns and tailored to meet market demands. This new aircraft will strengthen our customer offering,” he added.
The aircraft is an entirely new type for SAS and it enables a more competitive future and more sustainable way of flying in terms of reduced emissions.
The A350 is a milestone in the extensive renewal of the SAS fleet which will consist of the market’s most advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft.
The A350 lowers CO2 emissions by approximately 30% and reduces external noise footprint by up to 40% compared to previous generation aircraft.
As a part the modernisation of the short and long-haul fleet, SAS will take delivery of new Airbus A320neo (80), Airbus A330 Enhanced (five), Airbus A350 (eight), and Airbus A321LR (three) aircraft before the end of 2023.
Combined with the upgrade of the cabin interiors, the SAS fleet is shaped for the future of traveling and a key enabler to achieve SAS’ ambitious, but tangible, target by 2030 to reduce total carbon emissions by at least 25%, an ambition exceeding the targets set by IATA.
