SAS Opens Reservations For First Electric Flight

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has announced that it will open seat reservations on June 2, 2023, for its first planned commercial electric flights. The airline is expecting the flights to take place in 2028 with one domestic route apiece in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The cost for a ticket is SEK 1,946 ($180), a number SAS set as a tribute to the year the airline started flying. The airline noted that 30 seats will be available on each flight with ticket fees to be collected 30 days prior to departure.

“Since its inception in 1946, SAS has been one of the pioneers in the airline industry, being for instance the first commercial airline operator to fly over the North Pole to significantly shorten flight time between continents,” said SAS President and CEO Anko van der Werff. “The fact that we can now invite our passengers to the next major milestone in the future of aviation is a natural continuation of that pioneering spirit and a significant step on our journey towards more sustainable aviation.”

SAS stated that it has not yet made a final decision on which aircraft it will be using for the planned flights. Since 2019, the airline has had partnerships with Airbus and Sweden-based Heart Aerospace focusing on low- and zero-emission electric- and hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft. In September 2022, SAS signed a letter of support for the option to add Heart’s 30-passenger electric ES-30 to its regional fleet. The ES-30 is currently in development with the company aiming for it to be certified for commercial flights by 2028.