summary
- SAS bid farewell to its Boeing 737 aircraft on a special flight marking the end of an era.
- The Boeing 737’s last commercial flight included a unique path that marked the number 700 in the sky.
- SAS currently relies heavily on Airbus narrowbody aircraft for most of its short-to-medium range network.
SAS said goodbye to its Boeing 737 aircraft on a special flight on November 19th. The airline has historically been a heavy user of the 737, but has gradually replaced the 737 with the latest version of the Airbus A320 family of planes. Year. Currently, SAS has no Boeing aircraft in its fleet.
special delivery
On Sunday, SAS made its last commercial flight of a Boeing 737, which it announced more than a month ago. The Scandinavian airline flew a Boeing 737-700 (registration LN-RRB), aptly named Flight SK737, from Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) to Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL).
That’s not all. To commemorate this flight and the type’s years of service, the flight’s pilot traced his unique path to paint a “700” in the sky. SAS advertised the flight in September and asked anyone interested to book a ticket.
SAS and Boeing 737
Indeed, given SAS’ long relationship with the Boeing 737, this is the end of an era. By aviation industry, SAS has operated more than 100 737 aircraft over the years, including the 737-400, -500, and -6-. , -700, and -800.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
However, these planes were aging. The average age of SAS’ Boeing 737-700 aircraft was 19 years. The aircraft, which last flew on November 19, was delivered in 2007 and has flown more than 41,000 miles in 31,055 flight cycles. SAS recognizes the important role the 737 has played in operations for decades and shared the following message on social media in September:
“The Boeing 737 has served us well, and it is time to say goodbye to this iconic aircraft. give way to.”
fleet evolution
The Boeing 737 is also evolving with a MAX version, but SAS has decided to stick with Airbus for future aircraft development. The airline currently relies heavily on Airbus narrowbody aircraft for its European network, and its fleet includes more than 55 of his A320 family of aircraft.
According to Planespotters.net, the airline also has seven ATR 42/72s, three Airbus A350s, eight A330s, and 17 Bombardier CRJ-900s. With the loss of the 737, SAS currently has no Boeing aircraft in active service.
Photo: Omar F. Martinez | Shutterstock
Last month, SAS signaled its commitment to Airbus aircraft by entering into a sale and leaseback agreement with Irish lessor Airdragon Aviation Partners for two Airbus A320neo aircraft. The airline also decided to retain the A330, which it had previously decided to sell as part of its fleet restructuring plan.
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