Scandinavian Airlines’ (SAS) switch to SkyTeam and eventual entry to the Air France-KLM transatlantic joint venture (JV) will unlock a new era of collaboration for the carrier, according to CEO and President Anko van der Werff. Van der Werff, speaking during a keynote interview at Routes Europe 2024, highlighted the move as an opportunity to tap into partnerships that were previously out of reach during SAS' 27-year tenure in the Star Alliance, which it co-founded with Air Canada, Lufthansa, Thai Airways and United Airlines in 1997. “We want to get to a new level of partnerships,” van der Werff said. “I am a firm believer that what we're have right now within Star is setting us back in time. Airline partnerships have evolved. A codeshare cooperation is nice—and we’re definitely going to [codeshare] with our SkyTeam partners—but I think the real benefit is in joint bottom-line management in one way or another.” SAS' restructuring plan, which received U.S. court approval in March, is expected to conclude by the end of the first half of 2024, enabling the airline to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As part of the reorganization, SAS has secured investment from a consortium including Air France-KLM and the Danish state, leading to its departure from the Star Alliance on Aug. 31 and the initiation of the process to join SkyTeam. SAS is currently in "advanced negotiations" with SkyTeam and its members to develop and expand extensive commercial relationships.<br/>
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Korean Air is in talks over the purchase of at least 10 Boeing 777X jetliners in a potential tilt back towards its traditional U.S. supplier after placing a major order with European rival Airbus, two industry sources said. The discussions come weeks after Korean announced an order for 33 A350 jets from Airbus in what was widely seen as a breakthrough for the European planemaker into the flag carrier's Boeing-dominated wide-body fleet. The sources said discussions between Korean Air and Boeing on the 777X, an upgrade of the 777 mini-jumbo already used by South Korea's largest carrier, were ongoing. A third industry source with knowledge of the matter said Korean is in continuous discussions with Boeing on potential orders, but does not have immediate firm plans to take new 777s. Korean Air did not have an immediate comment. Boeing declined to comment on any commercial discussions and referred queries about fleet planning to the airline. Earlier this month, Korean Air Chairman and CEO Walter Cho told CNBC following the Airbus deal: "We're not done yet. We're still talking with Boeing".<br/>