Airline chooses Beijing as main hub
By Chen Liying 2007-2-2
SCANDINAVIAN Airlines announced yesterday it has chosen Beijing as a hub for its future expansion in China and that it will further strengthen ties with Air China Ltd.
Meanwhile, Scandinavian Airlines' nonstop flights from Copenhagen to Shanghai will stop in April as part of the carrier's new China strategy, SAS said.
The northern European carrier will have 10 direct flights to China after it opens a Beijing-Stockholm direct service four times a week starting on March 26, SAS said.
It now operates six flights a week from Beijing to Copenhagen.
"We want to open all of Scandinavia to China and our future vision is that Beijing will become SAS's gateway to China, regardless of whether customers fly from Stockholm, Oslo or Copenhagen and regardless of their final destination," said Lars Lindgren, chief executive officer with SAS.
"Through our partnership with Air China, we can offer travelers wishing to connect to other destinations a unique network of direct flights throughout China," he said.
In September, SAS will add more nonstop services to Beijing from two other Scandinavian capitals, the airline said.
As a part of the new strategy, SAS will discontinue nonstop flights from Copenhagen to Shanghai's Pudong International Airport from April 9th. It now has six flights a week on the route.
"As we opened the Shanghai service later than rivals, the load factor is not good given the fierce competition from other European carriers," said Belinda Yan with SAS China. "The flights from Beijing on the contrary had more than 80 percent of the seats filled last year."
The airlines instead will offer domestic connections to Shanghai and other major cities in China through Beijing, said the carrier. |
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