SAS expansion commences with new summer traffic program

SAS expansion commences with new summer traffic program The major expansion of the SAS aircraft fleet and traffic program commences with the launch of the summer 2001 traffic program and the opening of a new transatlantic route, Copenhagen-Washington DC. The expansion, the largest in SAS' history, will have a positive effect on the whole of the SAS Group's traffic system. By 2005, SAS expects to be 50 percent bigger than it is today and carrying 35 million passengers a year. On May 12, SAS will open a new route, Copenhagen to Washington DC, with five flights per week. As of June 28, traffic will be increased to one flight per day to the U.S. capital. Delivery of the new intercontinental aircraft, the Airbus A330 and A340, will commence this summer. The aircraft are 50 percent bigger than the Boeing 767, which will gradually be replaced. Initially, the new aircraft will be used by SAS to traffic its Asia routes. In preparation for the expansion, traffic between and to the three Scandinavian capitals will also be strengthened through the addition of larger aircraft and more frequent flights. Growth in demand for flights to London Heathrow and Dublin Demand for flights to London Heathrow remains strong. Accordingly, SAS is introducing an additional morning and evening flight. "As of March 25, we shall be increasing our daily frequency from six to eight departures from Stockholm to Heathrow. Departures from Copenhagen to London will also be increased from six to seven times a day," says Karin Strömberg, Vice President, SAS Network Planning. Capacity is being made available by changing two Stavanger- Heathrow flights to Stavanger-London Stanstead. The current Stockholm-Stanstead route will be terminated in conjunction with the change in traffic to Heathrow. On March 25, direct flights will be introduced to connect Stockholm with the Irish capital, Dublin. "Dublin has become an increasingly important business destination and we plan to offer two daily departures right from the start," says Karin Strömberg. Ireland is also becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination, with intensive weekend traffic. SAS is thus planning to introduce larger aircraft with more seats on this route at weekends. Nice in the south of France is another attractive vacation destination. Accordingly, SAS has decided to offer daily flights between Stockholm and Nice during the peak summer season. Eastern Europe growing in importance The market for flights between Scandinavia and Poland is growing. SAS is meeting the increase in demand by introducing extra flight connections with Copenhagen, including a morning flight between Copenhagen and Wroclaw and an extra evening flight to Gdansk. The SAS strategy in Poland is to offer more flights per currently trafficked destination. Sweden's EU Council Presidency Brussels is an important destination, particularly in connection with Sweden's Presidency of the European Union. An extra morning departure from Stockholm will be introduced this spring that will enable travelers to choose between a total of five daily flights. For further information about the SAS summer traffic program, please contact: Karin Strömberg, Vice President, SAS Network Management, telephone: +46 (0) 8-797 19 03, or Jens Wigen, Director, SAS Network Planning, telephone: +46 (0) 8-797 19 92. SAS CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/03/08/20010308BIT00330/bit0002.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/03/08/20010308BIT00330/bit0002.pdf