SAS downsizes business class seats on Stavanger-Houston route

Scandinavian Airlines or SAS has decided to downsize business class seats offering on the ‘oil route’ between Houston and Stavanger citing dwindling traffic because of low crude oil price. The airline said it will be abandoning its decision to operate an all-business class Boeing 737 service on the route. The airline indicated it will replace its 44 business class seats and will provide only 20 seats in business class on the reassigned Copenhagen-Newark Liberty route in 2016. It will also offer 66 seats in economy class as well on the route.

Media reports also said SAS had for long been operating an extensive network to North America and Asia, and is planning to expand it further in 2016. The airline has decided to launch new routes next year. Flights services to Miami are scheduled to be introduced from both Oslo and Copenhagen. The airline is also planning to begin flights between Los Angeles and Stockholm as well. The airline has also said that it will increase the frequency of its flights on Copenhagen-Shanghai route.

Scandinavian Airlines first started operating flights in 1946 and had ever since tried to carve a niche of its own in the European aviation industry. The airline had to face turbulent times by fall 2012 and was seen battling for its existence. The situation deteriorated drastically coupled with high operational costs, higher oil prices and stiff competition by new low-cost carriers thus driving the airline to the brink of bankruptcy.

The year 2015 has however proved to be beneficial for SAS and it is now gradually recovering from financial turmoil. During the first nine months of the current financial year the company has reported a modest net profit of $52 million. The airline considers this development as a welcome change and is now hopefully looking to the future with expansion of its route network in North America and Asia.