It seems that Scandinavian Airlines is seeking extra capacity, whilst providing capacity core regional networks.
To this, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Braathens Regional Airways (BRA) have announced the signing of a long-term wet lease partnership aimed at securing reliable and efficient domestic air connectivity within Sweden.
Under the terms of the wet lease agreement, BRA will operate several aircraft on behalf of SAS, providing capacity on key domestic routes in Sweden as well as feeding into the Copenhagen hub. The partnership will ensure SAS’s ability to meet domestic demand while optimizing operations and improving regional air services across the region, ensuring greater connectivity and more options for travellers.
The wet-lease partnership is an important step towards providing passengers across Sweden with reliable and efficient air travel options.
BRA will operate its fleet on behalf of SAS, allowing for seamless integration into SAS’ existing operations. Building from Arlanda Airport, this partnership strengthens Swedish infrastructure, connecting local communities to the world and fostering greater global accessibility and opportunities.
In Quotes
SAS CEO, Anko van der Werff, commented:
“This new partnership with BRA is a testament to our long-term commitment to Sweden. By integrating BRA’s expertise and fleet, we are not only enhancing Swedish infrastructure but also positioning Arlanda as a stronger central hub for domestic and international travel. This collaboration will significantly improve connectivity, allowing us to offer more seamless and frequent services between major cities and regional destinations. As a result, Arlanda will become an even more vital gateway, supporting both business and leisure travelers with greater convenience while we maintain our focus on sustainability and operational efficiency. We are excited to work closely with BRA in the coming years to realize these ambitions.”
BRA Chairman, Per G. Braathen, added:
“We are proud to enter into this partnership with SAS, Scandinavia’s leading airline. By leveraging our experience and modern fleet, we will be able to contribute to securing domestic air connectivity in Sweden, which is critical for economic growth and regional development. Together with SAS, we aim to provide the best possible travel experience for passengers across the country.”
Big shifts for BRA
BRA currently operate flights both out of Stockholm Arlanda (where it bases its Airbus A320 and A319 aircraft) and Stockholm Bromma (where it uses its ATR72 fleet).
With SAS centred on Arlanda Airport, BRA will shift its aircraft primarily to that base and discontinue all flights from Bromma after 31 December 2024.
BRA is rather candid in its reason for this move – with the Swedish domestic market being significantly smaller than it was before the pandemic, while demand for contract flights (ACMI) has increased. Thus, BRA will discontinue its scheduled operations and instead, BRA will focus on contract flights.
The collaboration with SAS means that BRA can both take responsibility for the aviation infrastructure in Sweden and secure jobs within the company despite a challenging domestic aviation market.
BRA has posted an update for those who hold tickets at https://www.flygbra.se/info/bra-ingar-langsiktigt-avtal-med-sas, which will be important to those who are planning to fly with the airline after December 2024;
And what about Bromma Airport?
Bromma Airport (around 5km away from Stockholm City Centre) currently has BRA as its primary tenant. Only Finnair (operating to Helsinki) and NyxAir (operating to Trollhättan–Vänersborg) are the operators out of that airport.
With Braathens Regional Airways moving out and transferring its hub to Arlanda, it’s going to leave Bomma Airport vulnerable to closure unless they can attract new customers.
And given how quiet that airport was the two times I went through it recently, I struggle to see how the airport can remain viable and operational given the runway length (1,668 metres) and the lack of other regional operators who want to put a turboprop or jet from there (given Finnair runs a twice-daily service… and the times I was on that, it was very low double-digit passenger counts).
This is a shame, as the airport had a tram station built only a few years ago for easy connectivity to the underground train network and the city centre.
Unless some challenger airline can mount a service quickly, Bromma Airports’ future may be very shaky indeed.
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