SAS to set up Ireland division in new push to tap leisure market
SAS will register planes in Ireland and set up bases in London and Spain to serve more leisure travellers at lower cost to compete with expanding discount carriers including Norwegian Air Shuttle. SAS is seeking an AOC in Ireland with sites in London and Spain that will initially provide a small number of departures to complement existing services starting next winter, the company said Wednesday. The airline has been contending with Norwegian Air’s strategy of offering a similar mix of European and trans-Atlantic routes. SAS said it will continue to focus on frequent travellers and the bulk of its operations will remain in Scandinavia, while trying to gain from rising demand for leisure travel. With “intense” price pressure in that segment, SAS must address its cost base, which it estimates to be 20% to 25% higher than at rivals. <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2017-02-02/star/sas-to-set-up-ireland-division-in-new-push-to-tap-leisure-market
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SAS to set up Ireland division in new push to tap leisure market
SAS will register planes in Ireland and set up bases in London and Spain to serve more leisure travellers at lower cost to compete with expanding discount carriers including Norwegian Air Shuttle. SAS is seeking an AOC in Ireland with sites in London and Spain that will initially provide a small number of departures to complement existing services starting next winter, the company said Wednesday. The airline has been contending with Norwegian Air’s strategy of offering a similar mix of European and trans-Atlantic routes. SAS said it will continue to focus on frequent travellers and the bulk of its operations will remain in Scandinavia, while trying to gain from rising demand for leisure travel. With “intense” price pressure in that segment, SAS must address its cost base, which it estimates to be 20% to 25% higher than at rivals. <br/>
