SAS to Launch Latest Airbus A340-300s on Bangkok Route

In a move that will significantly boost visitor arrivals from Europe to Thailand, Scandinavian Airlines is to upgrade its aircraft from a 188-seat Boeing 767-383ER to a new-generation 261-seat A340-300 as of 10 December 2001.

SAS has purchased a total of six A340-300s, as well as four A330-300s, marking the start of the largest expansion in the history of SAS. Deliveries began only last July and will be completed before 2003. The aircraft will be used exclusively on intercontinental traffic, primarily to Asia and North America.

In recent years, SAS has been forced to turn down passengers on intercontinental routes due to lack of capacity: too few seats on too few aircraft. With its new long-distance planes, SAS can transport 40 percent more passengers than on its existing planes. In addition, the A340 will cost SAS 15 percent less per passenger kilometer to operate than a Boeing 767.

"Airbus will contribute to SAS' expansion from 23 million passengers each year to 35 million in five years' time," says Jørgen Lindegaard, President and CEO of SAS. "The new A340-300 is important in this regard. We intend to start a new route each year.”

An investment of SEK 30 billion (about 135 billion baht) in the new Airbus aircraft will provide 15,000 extra seats per day (+ 38 percent) and at least twice the amount of freight capacity offered by the Boeing 767.

According to SAS Thailand & Indochina manager, Mr Axel Blom, the new aircraft will fly daily from Copenhagen to Bangkok and Singapore, v.v., and play a major role in boosting visitor arrivals from Scandinavia to Thailand.

Visitors from the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden to Thailand grew from 296,000 in 1999 to 354,000 in 2000, a strong increase of 20% and a much higher growth than the 11% rise in overall visitors. This growth has continued in January-August 2001 when visitors from the three countries grew by 13% over the same period of 2000.

“Although the terrorist attack on the United States and the war in Afghanistan has dampened the travel mood to some extent, we expect growth to continue positively in 2002,” Mr Blom said. “At the same time, the new aircraft will make it much more comfortable and convenient for businessmen and leisure travellers, both expatriates and Thais, to go to Europe.”

The twin-aisle A340-300 will have 54 seats in Business Class, 24 in the totally new Economy Extra class and 183 in Economy Class.

Economy class has been boosted by 61 seats while Business Class has been reduced by 12 seats to increase the comfort as well as to make way the new Economy Extra class. Overall, the entire aircraft will have 40% more capacity per flight.

Economy Extra is in response to feedback from SAS passengers who have requested an "in-between" class. The seat in Economy Extra is both wider and more roomy. It has a 37-inch pitch, a full five inches more than normal economy, which means a much bigger recline.

Both Economy Extra and Business Class will have direct power connections for laptop computers. No special adapters are necessary. The Economy Extra fares will be about 65 percent of normal Business Class fares, while inflight service and meals will be the same as economy class.

The comfortable, wide seats of new Swedish and Italian design are in a 2-2-2 configuration in Business Class, 2-3-2 in Economy Extra and 2-4-2 in Economy Class, meaning that all passengers in all classes never be more than one seat away from the aisle.

Economy Class seats seats have also been upgraded with ear muffs, footrests and video screens to enjoy films, music channels and games. An onboard buffet is being introduced in Business Class, with freshly made espresso/cappucciono, food, fruit, wine, beer and soft drinks.

The A340s and A330s will be crewed by three pilots, a purser, three stewards and seven cabin attendants. The Airbus 340-300 has four engines (CFMI) which fulfil the SAS environmental requirements of low fuel consumption and reduced noise, as well as environmentally compatible manufacture. The emission levels are 10 to 20 percent lower than those of comparable aircraft.

SAS flies daily between Copenhagen and Bangkok and also offers daily services between Bangkok and Singapore.