Swedish government chooses SAS

Swedish government chooses SAS

SAS and its partners Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines secured the
procurement contract with the Swedish government for international travel. The
purchasing process was conducted by the Swedish Armed Forces Logistics, SWAFLOG,
and applies to all government agencies, departments, institutes of higher
education and universities. For SAS, the agreement is valued at SEK 190 M, with
a potential for twice this amount.



In competition with other airlines, SAS won the procurement for all tendered
international routes. In addition to price, many direct routes and an expansive
route network in partnership with Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines, SAS's
strong environmental work played a key role in the selection. The airlines shall
have a well-documented environmental strategy, be able to present an approved
sustainability report and provide statistics regarding carbon emissions for the
agencies' trips. 



“The Swedish government is our single largest and most important customer in
Sweden and it is thus extra pleasing that the government has renewed its trust
in us,” says Lars-Ove Filipson, VP Sales and Distribution for SAS in Sweden. 



“In addition to the requirements imposed by the government, we are now also one
of Europe's most punctual airlines, which saves valuable time for government
employees and money for the tax payers,” says Peter Viinapuu, COO for SAS in
Sweden



In 2008, most international trips made by the government were to Brussels,
followed by London and Paris. The agreement period is one year and applies from
June 1, 2009 to May 31, 2010. It will be used by 265 government agencies,
departments, institutes of higher education and universities in Sweden. 







SAS Group Corporate Communications

For further information, contact

Elisabeth Manzi, Director of Media Relation at SAS Group, +46 (0) 8 797 4893

The SAS Group is the leading airline group in Northern Europe, offering air
transportation and airline-related services. Scandinavian Airlines and Blue1 are
members of Star Alliance™, the world's largest airline alliance. The Group also
includes the airline Widerøe, as well as the partly owned airline Estonian Air.
SAS EuroBonus, founded in 1992, is the SAS Group's loyalty program with more
than 2.8 million members. In 2008, the SAS Group transported 29 million
passengers to over 150 destinations. Read more at www.sasgroup.net