SAS Cancels Three Swedish Routes Amid Capacity Shortage

SAS Scandinavian Airlines has announced that it will cancel three domestic routes in Sweden due to a capacity shortage. The cancellations will affect flights scheduled for November and December 2024 as the airline transitions from its current wet-lease partner, Xfly (Estonia), to a new partnership with BRA – Braathens Regional Airlines. The new arrangement with BRA, involving wet-leased ATR72-600 aircraft, will begin on January 2, 2025, causing a two-month gap in flight services for the affected routes, reported ch-aviation.com.

The three routes impacted by the cancellations are from Stockholm Arlanda to Angelholm/Helsingborg, Ronneby, and Sundsvall-Härnösand. These flights will be suspended throughout November and December. A spokesperson for SAS explained the reason for the cancellations, stating, “We needed to secure a long-term partner for our regional operations, and while BRA is set to begin in January, this unfortunately created a gap in our capacity for November and December.” This short-term capacity issue has caused inconvenience for travelers on these routes, but SAS aims to restore full services once the new wet-lease agreement with BRA is in place.

SAS’s new partnership with BRA marks a strategic move to enhance its regional services. Under the agreement, BRA will operate ATR72-600 turboprops on behalf of SAS through an ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) arrangement. The ATR72-600 aircraft, known for their fuel efficiency and 72-seat capacity, will provide a reliable and environmentally friendly option for regional routes. The new arrangement will commence on January 2, 2025, with initial flights from Stockholm Arlanda, followed by services from Copenhagen Kastrup starting January 13. Additional flights from Aalborg and Aarhus are set to begin on January 19 and 25, respectively.

The partnership between SAS and BRA is currently being reviewed by the Swedish Competition Authority (Konkurrensverket), although the deal has not been formally notified to the regulator. Grant McKelvey, head of unit at the authority, told the Swedish news agency TT that the deal is being assessed. BRA’s chairman, Per G. Braathen, stated that the contract should not require formal notification, as it represents a shift from scheduled operations to an ACMI contract. As part of the new partnership, BRA will cease its own scheduled services and focus exclusively on operating ATR72-600 aircraft for SAS.

SAS’s current regional fleet consists of four ATR72-600s and seven CRJ900s wet-leased from Xfly, along with 14 additional CRJ900s from CityJet and 10 Embraer E195 jets operated through SAS Link. By partnering with BRA, SAS will further expand its fleet and capacity, ensuring stable regional operations in the future. BRA’s fleet includes 14 ATR72-600 aircraft, with ages ranging from 4.7 to 8.9 years. The airline is also expecting the delivery of a fifteenth ATR72-600, which will provide additional capacity.

The transition to BRA as SAS’s wet-lease partner is a significant step toward enhancing the airline’s regional operations. While the temporary suspension of routes in November and December will impact travelers, the new partnership is expected to improve efficiency and service reliability in the long term.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com