Travel companies that have agreements with SAS are struggling to find other solutions for transporting passengers home. The reason is, among other things, the lack of aircraft in Europe.
Less than 20 minutes ago
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– We are working hard to find replacement flights, but there is a shortage of aircraft and aircraft personnel in Europe now. It is not easy to find new departures, says communications manager Beatriz Rivera in Apollo to NTB.
Several Norwegian travel companies are struggling to carry home passengers who have had their flights canceled as a result of the SAS strike.
The travel companies point out that there is a shortage of aircraft and aircraft personnel in Europe, and say that it makes it particularly challenging to find so-called replacement aircraft.
Follow the development of air traffic in VG’s flight overview.
SAS revokes dispensation
All Apollo’s customers who were going home from resorts on Friday and Sunday were flown with SAS. On Saturday, however, only 14 of 20 departures were scheduled. Rivera estimates that 1,000 people did not return home on Saturday, and says it concerns flights from the Greek islands of Crete, Corfu and Samos.
On Sunday, the SAS pilots decided not to bring more charter tourists home. The reason is that they believe the SAS management is violating the agreement.
For Apollo, this means that travelers returning home this week may have to settle for a few extra days at the travel destination.
–90 percent of Apollo travel
– We of course cover extra hotel stays and food, and we hope that they will not have to stay longer than two to three days. It is a challenging situation, says Rivera.
She estimates that about 90 percent of all Apollo’s package holidays are with SAS, and therefore most of their customers are affected by the strike.
– We have had an agreement with SAS for many years. Both we and our customers have been very happy with it. We have not taken a position on any changes in it yet, Rivera says.
– The Apollo Group can tolerate this for the time being, but we sincerely hope that the parties find a solution soon. The longer the strike lasts, the more people are affected, she continues.
Flymangel i Europa
Ving has its own airline that carries most of the travel company’s passengers, but they also normally have 16 SAS flights a week that carry Ving customers.
– We are talking about a couple of thousand travelers a week. And it is almost impossible to find replacement aircraft for these passengers, says Marie-Anne Zachrisson to NTB. She is head of Ving in Norway.
The reason is the lack of aircraft in Europe, according to her.
– We search day and night with lights and lanterns, but it is an almost impossible job, says Zachrisson.
– It does not hold that a few seats on other aircraft are available. We are talking about several thousand, and therefore we need the entire plane to get our passengers home, she continues.
The destinations Ving is struggling to get its travelers home from include Crete, Corfu and Mallorca.
–Own flight, agreement with Norwegian
The travel company Tui states that very few of their travelers are affected by the SAS strike. The reason is that the company has its own aircraft and aircraft agreements with Norwegian, not SAS.
– We have about twenty bookings with SAS in the next few days, but so far we have found replacement aircraft or other solutions for most people, says communications manager Nora Aspengren in Tui Norway to NTB.
– None of our guests are stranded, but some may have had changes, she adds.
Sales growth after the strike
Aspengren says that sales of Tui travel have increased by about 20 percent a week since the SAS strike started on Monday last week.
– We have registered a growth of 21 percent and travel that is only by plane has increased by 27 percent.
The reason may be late booking which is a general trend in Norway this year, according to Aspengren.
– But it may also be that people who have had their SAS flights canceled have booked on our flights instead.
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