SAS chief looks to SkyTeam gains to outweigh ‘emotionally difficult’ Star Alliance exit
The CE of Scandinavian carrier SAS, Anko van der Werff, acknowledges that leaving Star Alliance – which it co-founded – is an emotionally difficult decision, but believes the potential for tighter co-operation with partners within SkyTeam provides greater opportunities. SAS was a founding member of Star Alliance in May 1997, alongside Air Canada, Lufthansa, Thai Airways and United Airlines. However, it is set to leave to the global grouping this year under a deal to take it out of its formal financial restructuring process with a consortium including Air France-KLM. Under the plan SAS would join its new partners Air France and KLM in the SkyTeam alliance. Speaking during a session at the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers event in Dublin on 29 February (sic?), van der Werff says it is close to finalising a date for the switch of alliance. ”There will be a date when there is a cutover from Star to SkyTeam,” he says. ”Clearly with SkyTeam we are already talking and trying to guage if they are interested, and yes they are. So they do want to have us and I think that is all going to flow quite nicely. But it is also complicated, because as an organisation, we were one of the founders of Star Alliance, so the organisation, the relationships we’ve built with individuals at Star, it’s not an easy emotional decision. But we know why we are doing it and are very excited by that future.” While the initial goal is membership of the alliance, a key attraction is the potential to work together with its new partners in a transatlantic joint venture, something that it never became part of within Star Alliance. ”I’ve been very open about it, I think Ben Smith of Air France-KLM has been very open about it, we have felt left out of some of the Star things – such as the Transatlantic joint venture,” he says. “I started in KLM in 2000 with the Northwest joint venture, that became the Air France-KLM/Delta joint venture. So I know how powerful that can be,” he says. ”I know for SAS we have been missing that, so I am very much looking forward to consummating the marriage and making sure we become part of something bigger.”<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-02-12/star/sas-chief-looks-to-skyteam-gains-to-outweigh-2018emotionally-difficult2019-star-alliance-exit
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SAS chief looks to SkyTeam gains to outweigh ‘emotionally difficult’ Star Alliance exit
The CE of Scandinavian carrier SAS, Anko van der Werff, acknowledges that leaving Star Alliance – which it co-founded – is an emotionally difficult decision, but believes the potential for tighter co-operation with partners within SkyTeam provides greater opportunities. SAS was a founding member of Star Alliance in May 1997, alongside Air Canada, Lufthansa, Thai Airways and United Airlines. However, it is set to leave to the global grouping this year under a deal to take it out of its formal financial restructuring process with a consortium including Air France-KLM. Under the plan SAS would join its new partners Air France and KLM in the SkyTeam alliance. Speaking during a session at the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers event in Dublin on 29 February (sic?), van der Werff says it is close to finalising a date for the switch of alliance. ”There will be a date when there is a cutover from Star to SkyTeam,” he says. ”Clearly with SkyTeam we are already talking and trying to guage if they are interested, and yes they are. So they do want to have us and I think that is all going to flow quite nicely. But it is also complicated, because as an organisation, we were one of the founders of Star Alliance, so the organisation, the relationships we’ve built with individuals at Star, it’s not an easy emotional decision. But we know why we are doing it and are very excited by that future.” While the initial goal is membership of the alliance, a key attraction is the potential to work together with its new partners in a transatlantic joint venture, something that it never became part of within Star Alliance. ”I’ve been very open about it, I think Ben Smith of Air France-KLM has been very open about it, we have felt left out of some of the Star things – such as the Transatlantic joint venture,” he says. “I started in KLM in 2000 with the Northwest joint venture, that became the Air France-KLM/Delta joint venture. So I know how powerful that can be,” he says. ”I know for SAS we have been missing that, so I am very much looking forward to consummating the marriage and making sure we become part of something bigger.”<br/>
