From Flight Global.
SAS Group is selling 18 Boeing MD-80 aircraft to the parent of US carrier Allegiant Air.
The twin-jets are being sold as part of the company’s ‘Core SAS’ restructuring programme under which it is withdrawing 21 aircraft from its fleet.
Eighteen aircraft have already been withdrawn, says SAS Group.
“As a result of this and earlier capacity reductions SAS holds MD-80 series surplus aircraft,” it adds.
SAS Group states that the agreement will reduce its net debt by SKr200 million ($28.4 million).
It will deliver the aircraft to Allegiant Air’s parent, Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company, in the first half of next year.
By: eightandseven - 6th January 2010 at 22:43
Another interesting type dwindling in European skies, shame. I believe Iberia have all their MD-80s ready to be withdrawn. It will leave Spanair with the only sizable fleet in Europe.
By: MSR777 - 6th January 2010 at 22:32
I think that later on went to operate with OS for a while?
Have at last found a ref in my old Ops. paperwork. The a/c was owned by Inex Adria reg: YU-AJU c/n: 47754/856. It visited us a few times during 1984
By: KabirT - 6th January 2010 at 13:04
I used to ramp and loadsheet the SAS DC9-40s at STN in the 80s and on a few occasions we had a DC9-50 but I’m not sure that the aircraft belonged to SAS although it was in their full Viking livery, anyone know more about that airframe? Sadly by the time the SAS MD80s came along I had become a desk jockey in Ops 🙂
I think that later on went to operate with OS for a while?
By: lucas - 6th January 2010 at 12:02
That’s TRAGIC news! SAS’ trademark, in my opinion, are its MD80s!! what a shame…
By: MSR777 - 5th January 2010 at 20:31
I used to ramp and loadsheet the SAS DC9-40s at STN in the 80s and on a few occasions we had a DC9-50 but I’m not sure that the aircraft belonged to SAS although it was in their full Viking livery, anyone know more about that airframe? Sadly by the time the SAS MD80s came along I had become a desk jockey in Ops 🙂
By: Arabella-Cox - 5th January 2010 at 19:12
What are they replacing them with?
By: Ship 741 - 5th January 2010 at 13:24
The end of an era, given that SAS started DC-9 service in about 1967 or 68.
By: KabirT - 5th January 2010 at 04:55
I remember doing Oslo-Bodo on an SAS MD 80, being the only passenger on board that flight.
good times on the SAS MD 80s. 🙂
By: sneijder - 4th January 2010 at 20:15
I haven’t seen any at OSL for a while now, They have 5-6 737 parked up at remote stands most days too.
Norwegian have an ex-Finnair MD that turns up from time to time. You can see where the Finnair paint has been removed, the logo is still visible where the paint around has been bleached by the sun.
I checked in online once on a SAS 737, only to be greeted with an MD at the gate. Due to the aircraft change my seat allocation was gone and I was ‘lucky’ enough to sit next to the engine. The aircraft was a tired old rocket, and the seat was well past it’s sell by date, but like an old armchair it was well broken in and super comfy.
I had a charter gate the other day with a creaky old MD, the crew wanted the weights in imperial units for their loadsheet. That was a first for me 😮
By: Sky High - 4th January 2010 at 14:34
Happy memories of burning up several thousand kilometres every year in these and its predecessor the DC9, during SAS’s halcyon days.
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January 4, 2010 at 2:29 pm