SAS and Airbus to research hybrid and electric aircraft

SAS and Airbus have signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding for hybrid and electric aircraft eco-system and infrastructure requirements research. This is a unique cooperation to establish the requirements for the next generation of sustainable aircraft. The project aims to gain an understanding of the introduction of hybrid-electric aircraft for large-scale commercial use.

The partnership involves a joint research project where SAS and Airbus will work together to build knowledge of the opportunities and challenges regarding operations and infrastructure linked to large scale introduction of hybrid and electric aircraft in commercial traffic.

“We are proud of our ambitious sustainability work and are now pleased that Airbus has chosen SAS to partner up with us for this future project. If this becomes a reality, it will revolutionize emissions”, says Rickard Gustafson, CEO, SAS.

SAS has for decades worked to reduce emissions and worked hard and focused towards a more sustainable flying. SAS's goal is to reduce emissions by 25 per cent by 2030, mainly by modernizing the fleet and increasing the use of biofuels. We see electric aircraft as the next step beyond the current technology.

“We are delighted to be embarking on this partnership with SAS,” said Grazia Vittadini, Airbus Chief Technology Officer. “Leveraging our respective expertise to explore the potential of hybrid-electric propulsion opportunities in our aviation eco-system.”

The collaboration also includes an ambition to involve a renewable energy supplier to ensure genuine zero emissions operations.

For more information, please contact:  
SAS pressoffice, phn +46 8 797 2944

SAS carries more than 30 million passengers annually and is Scandinavia’s leading airline with close to 800 daily flights on 272 routes to 123 destinations in Scandinavia, Europe, USA and Asia. SAS is a member of Star Alliance™ and can together with our partner airlines offer more than 18,800 daily flights to 1,300 destinations around the world in over 193 countries. For more information, visit www.flysas.com