Scandinavian Airline SAS Nears Regional Jet Order With Eye on Post-Covid Travel

SAS is closing in on a regional jetliner order, as the Scandinavian carrier repositions its fleet for post-pandemic competition with a greater focus on fuel efficiency and leisure travel. The airline, which said before the pandemic it was considering models from Airbus and Embraer, is nearing the end of its analysis and is likely to come to a decision in early 2022, CEO Anko van der Werff said on a conference call with fourth-quarter results. While he declined to comment on specifics, van der Werff said the aircraft would be used in two new short-haul operations, Connect and Link, a low-cost brand akin to KLM Cityhopper or Iberia Express. “We will start those more serious conversations I think fairly soon,” van der Weff said. The company is considering newer aircraft platforms that offer fuel efficiency and flexibility given the size of the market -- “something that really will fit our future network needs,” he said. Former CEO Rickard Gustafson said in February 2020 that SAS could order Airbus A220s or a rival model from Brazil’s Embraer. The A220 offers seating capacity ranging from about 100 to 140 passengers, depending on model and configuration. It competes with various Embraer models, including the E195 E2, which seats up to 146 people.<br/>