New SAS tableware in Scandinavian design

New SAS tableware in Scandinavian design SAS features china from Royal Copenhagen, cutlery from Georg Jensen and glassware from Orrefors SAS is introducing a new line of in-flight tableware, featuring products from Scandinavia's major applied arts group, Royal Scandinavia. In the future, SAS will be featuring china from Royal Copenhagen, cutlery from Georg Jensen and glassware from Orrefors in the place settings for meals in Business Class on SAS's long-distance routes to North America and Asia. The new place settings will go into service starting March 26 in conjunction with the summer timetable. The place setting has its roots in the exciting new Scandinavian designs exemplified in the Ursula tableware set, the Cyren wineglass service and Bo Bonfils steel flatware. In conjunction with Royal Scandinavia's development units, ceramist Ursula Munch-Petersen, glass artist Gunnar Cyrén and graphic artist Bo Bonfils, SAS has developed an esthetically pleasing place setting that also fulfills the special functional requirements of in-flight tableware. Flying ambassador SAS chose to collaborate with Royal Scandinavian for several reasons. "First and foremost, Scandinavian design conveys the values that our operations are also founded upon," says Vagn Sørensen, Senior Vice President of SAS's Business Systems Division. "It should be functional, it should have a human element, and it should be beautiful. We also know that our passengers - especially on long- distance routes - value these Scandinavian touches. SAS would like to serve as a flying ambassador for the best in Scandinavian design and applied art. We also believe that the china, cutlery and glassware will heighten the culinary experience onboard. Several of Scandinavia's foremost chefs have taken their inspiration from old Scandinavian cooking traditions, and this new place setting will give those Scandinavian dishes a nice presentation." Scandinavian design challenge Knud Odgaard Pedersen, CEO of Royal Scandinavia, says, "Our collaboration with SAS is a major challenge, in which Scandinavian design should demonstrate how we can incorporate beauty and playfulness in everyday objects, while simultaneously living up to the functional requirements placed on an in-flight kitchen - on the ground, in the air, and while serving onboard. Our combined efforts are also a good example of how Scandinavian operations can support each other internationally." Complicated logistics The starting point was to select characteristically Scandinavian design - glassware, china and steel flatware - that would compliment each other both functionally and esthetically. That task was based on the extremely complicated logistics surrounding in-flight meals and limited tray space, while simultaneously fulfilling demands for overall impression, food presentation, serving, dishwashing, storage and transport. 900,000 meals a year The new SAS place setting will be used on SAS's long-distance flights, which consist of 12 different routes: nine from Copenhagen (New York, Chicago, Seattle, Washington DC, Tokyo, Beijing, Bangkok, Singapore, Delhi), two from Stockholm (New York, Chicago) and one from Oslo (New York). Of the company's 23 million passengers in 2000, approximately 1.2 million flew with SAS to Asia or North America. Each year, around 300,000 passengers will utilize the new place setting for some 900,000 serving occasions! Royal Scandinavia Royal Scandinavia, headquartered in Copenhagen, is one of the world's leading applied art companies. Royal Scandinavia was created through the merger of a number of companies - each of which was internationally renowned in its own right for their design of china, glassware and cutlery. In addition to Royal Copenhagen, Orrefors and Georg Jensen, Royal Scandinavia also includes Kosta Boda, Holmegaard, Venini, Boda Nova and Höganäs Keramik. For further information, please contact: Vagn Sørensen, Senior Vice President, Business Systems Division tel +46 8 797 14 61 Jan Olson, Vice President, Product and Service Development tel +46 8 797 28 32 Knud Odgaard Pedersen, CEO, Royal Scandinavia A/S, tel +46 3814 4848, kop@royalscandinavia.dk SAS CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/08/01/20030801BIT00290/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/08/01/20030801BIT00290/wkr0002.pdf