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SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK, Copenhagen Kastrup) is planning to launch A321-200neo(LR) operations in Summer 2020 with three units initially to "test the market", CEO Rickard Gustafson said during a quarterly investor call on February 27, 2019.

"The idea here is that we are testing this in a rather small scale to start with to see what type of response we get from the market. As you know, we are keen to drive profitable growth, rather than growth for the sake of growth, and that’s why you also start in the rather small scale by getting us to three aircraft starting ourselves summer next year," Gustafson said.

Short of disclosing any specific routes, Gustafson added that SAS will look at operating the A321neo(LR)s to destinations on the US East Coast, in India, and the Middle East. The type could also be used on direct long-haul services from secondary cities in Scandinavia.

"The idea then would be to connect maybe some secondary cities in Scandinavia to primary cities in our network, long-haul network. Not a decision...

SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK, Copenhagen Kastrup) has signed an agreement with Air Lease Corporation for three A321neo(LR)s that will enter into service in the first half of 2020 through 2021.

In a statement, SAS said the longhaul-capable narrowbody would allow it to open up thinner point-to-point routes in the Northeast United States, Canada, the Middle East, and India from Scandinavia. SAS currently uses its widebody fleet of eight A330-300s and eight A340-300s to run longhaul services out of Oslo Gardermoen, Copenhagen Kastrup, and Stockholm Arlanda.

“This is an entirely new aircraft type for SAS that is incredibly well suited to the Scandinavian market and our travel patterns. We are looking forward to launching new routes and to evaluate the A321LR in production,” Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO, SAS, said.

SAS said that with this announcement, it was now in the process of deciding on the first routes and cabin configuration of the aircraft. The new routes will gradually be communicated from spring 2019.

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