SAS witnessed a noteworthy surge in passenger numbers during October of this year. In all, 2.2 million travelers chose to fly with the airline. This represents a considerable 14 percent growth when compared to the same period last year. During the month, SAS’ capacity saw a 15 percent increase, while its RPK (Revenue Passenger Kilometers) experienced an even higher rise of 17 percent. These positive metrics culminated in a respectable flown load factor of 76 percent for October.
“Healthy demand for travel continued in October, with 2.2 million passengers traveling with SAS. But the even bigger and more important news is that we have reached a key milestone in our SAS FORWARD plan by entering into an investment agreement with the winning bidder consortium of SAS’ exit financing solicitation process. The investment shows that our new investors believe in SAS and our potential to remain at the forefront of the airline industry for years to come,” says Anko van der Werff, President & CEO of SAS
SAS Passenger Traffic October 2023
| SAS total traffic (scheduled and charter) | Oct23 | Change1 | Nov22- Oct23 | Change 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASK (Mill.) | 4,047 | 14.6% | 42,566 | 23.8% |
| RPK (Mill.) | 3,087 | 17.1% | 32,553 | 33.9% |
| Load factor | 76.3% | 1.6 pp | 76.5% | 5.7 pp |
| No. of passengers (000) | 2,205 | 14.3% | 23,681 | 32.5% |
| 1 Change compared to same period last year, pp = percentage points |
| Geographical development, schedule | Oct23 vs. Oct22 | Nov22-Oct23 vs. Nov21-Oct22 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RPK | ASK | RPK | ASK | |
| Intercontinental | 27.2% | 16.2% | 48.1% | 33.6% |
| Europe/Intra-Scandinavia | 20.1% | 23.3% | 32.6% | 24.9% |
| Domestic | 11.1% | 5.1% | 22.9% | 13.0% |
| Preliminary yield and PASK | Oct23 | Nominal change1 | FX adjusted change | |
| — | — | — | ||
| Yield, SEK | 1.07 | -1.5% | -2.8% | |
| PASK, SEK | 0.81 | 1.6% | 0.2% | |
| Punctuality (arrival 15 min) | 78.4% | |||
| Regularity | 98.5% | |||
| Change in total CO2 emissions | 24.0% | |||
| Change in CO2 emissions per available seat kilometer | 1.7% | |||
| Carbon offsetting of passenger related emissions | 39.0% |
Definitions:
- RPK – Revenue passenger kilometers
ASK – Available seat kilometers Load factor – RPK/ASK - Yield – Passenger revenues/RPK (scheduled)
- PASK – Passenger revenues/ASK (scheduled)
- Change in CO2 emissions per available seat kilometers. SAS passenger-related carbon emissions divided by total available seat kilometers (incl non-revenue and EuroBonus tickets), rolling 12 months vs rolling 12 months previous year
- Carbon offsetting of passenger-related emissions. Share of SAS passenger-related carbon emissions compensated by SAS (EuroBonus members, youth tickets, and SAS’ staff travel) during the month
From fiscal year 2020, SAS reports changes in CO2 emissions in total and per Available Seat Kilometers (ASK). This aligns with the airline’s overall goal to reduce total CO2 emissions by 25% by 2025 compared to 2005.
About SAS
SAS, Scandinavia’s leading airline, with main hubs in Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm, flies to destinations in Europe, USA, and Asia. Spurred by a Scandinavian heritage and sustainability values, SAS aims to be the driving force in sustainable aviation. The airline espouses a transition toward net zero emissions. SAS is continuously reducing carbon emissions by using more sustainable aviation fuel. SAS has also invested in new fuel-efficient aircraft.