SAS defers remaining A350 deliveries to 2024

SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK, Copenhagen Kastrup) has deferred the deliveries of its last two A350-900s, originally due in 2022 and 2023, so as to better adapt to demand recovery.

“[We] pushed the delivery of the next two A350s by one year and that is a significant change. And I think that’s a positive, and I think that’s aligned much better with the demand going forward,” Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer Magnus Ornberg said during the carrier’s quarterly investors call.

The Scandinavian airline currently plans to take both A350s in financial year 2024, which extends from November 2023 to October 2024. It did not offer any further details. SAS already operates six A350-900s which were delivered between November 2019 and June 2021. Two of the six are owned by the airline, two are on finance leases, and two are dry-leased, the ch-aviation fleets ownership module shows. Ornberg clarified that one of the two outstanding A350s has already been sold to an undisclosed lessor and will be leased back by the carrier after delivery.

SAS also has two A321-200NX(LR)s on order from Air Lease Corporation due before November 2021 and thirty-five A320-200Ns on direct order from Airbus. The latter will start delivering in 2022 through October 2025. The airline disclosed that it secured financing of around USD100 million for pre-delivery payments for ten A320-200Ns in August 2021.

During the most recent quarter ended on July 31, 2021, SAS posted a net loss of SEK1.4 billion Swedish kroner (USD158.6 million).