SAS orders 45 new Embraer planes, its biggest order since 1996

As for many airlines, the covid pandemic forced Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) to face the harsh realities of its unsustainable business model. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US and had to completely restructure its business with new owners (led by Air France KLM) under a new airline alliance (SkyTeam).

Last year SAS exited Chapter 11 a substantially different airline to when it entered, and this week it made its biggest aircraft purchase since 1996, ordering 45 Embraer E195-E2s with an option to add 10 more later on. CEO Anko van der Werff hailed it as a “massive deal for us:”

“It really represents the next step for SAS, it represents an investment, a bold investment into the future of SAS. It marks the next step in our transformation journey, and it very clearly is a great sign for the greater good of Scandinavia, the connectivity of Scandinavia.”

Granted, it’s for a smaller type – the latest ‘E2’ generation of Embraer’s E195, which you may be familiar with if you fly from London City Airport a lot. BA Cityflyer operates a fleet of the older generation of this aircraft.

As van der Werff says, the $4 billion agreement is “less risky” than a comparable widebody or large single-aisle order, but it is nevertheless a substantial investment for the airline and a big bet on growth in its regional network.

“What the E195 opens up is twofold, right? It’s really going up north to places where currently the A320neo is maybe too big, or building on frequencies and building gauge on destinations that are smaller at the moment, with ATR and CRJs.

Equally, going south to destinations where we feel that currently the A320neo might be too big and therefore opening up new routes. I mean, it really covers pretty much all of Europe for us in both directions.”

In particular, he cited a growing demand for “coolcations” as Southern Europe experiences increasing hot-weather events, with growing interest in visiting Scandinavia, the Nordics and even Greenland to where SAS has just launched direct flights.

I can only concur: it was a pleasant 22°C at the event in Copenhagen on versus a sweltering 32°C on my return to London.

The aircraft will be operated by a subsidiary of SAS, SAS Link. It currently has a fleet of 13 older-generation E195s, so the order will more than triple the size of its fleet. The aircraft are due to arrive from late 2027 with “a new aircraft every month for four years.”

The E195-E2 – the largest of Embraer’s commercial jets – isn’t one we’ve covered in much detail on HfP, although we did recently attend its first-ever arrival at London City Airport. Much like the Airbus A320neo and Boeing’s 737 Max, it is a re-engined and re-winged version of an existing model, improving its efficiency and performance. Embraer touts it as having “up to 29% less fuel burn per seat.”

Other improvements include a 62% smaller noise footprint at airports which will most benefit the communities around SAS’s hubs in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo.

The E195 and its smaller siblings are most recognisable for their narrower interiors featuring a 2-2 seating configuration, so there’s no middle seats here. The E2 brings larger overhead bins allowing every passenger to bring a trolley bag on board.

SAS will re-introduce a proper short haul business class product this Autumn, and I asked van der Werff if this would also be on board its E195-E2s.

He told me that whilst it would feature business class they haven’t yet decided on the business class configuration, although he did say the aircraft would feature “around” 136 seats in total, ten seats less than its maximum capacity of 146.

With the Embraer already offering a comfortable 2-2 configuration in economy, he wasn’t sure whether they would retain that or move to a 1-1 config with a blocked neighbouring seat as is more common on larger aircraft such as the A320neos. KLM and BA Cityflyer both operate 2-2 business class seating whilst Lufthansa offers 1-1 seating on its E195s.

If you’re curious about what it has to offer then you can read my review of SAS’s A350 business class here as well as my review of the SAS lounge in Copenhagen here. We will try to get back on board in October when SAS launches its new short haul business class proposition to Heathrow.