SAS says it is not ruling out operating the new Bombardier Q400 ” despite having completely withdrawn its predecessor last year.
The Scandinavian carrier pulled all 27 of its Q400 fleet following a series of landing gear incidents that sapped SAS confidence in the regional aircraft.
Speaking to ABTN in Istanbul however, as Turkish Airlines formally joined SA, SAS vice president network and revenue management partner and alliances Christian Hylander said the carrier could consider its replacement.
SAS recently announced it had opted to purchase 27 of the so-called New Generation Q400s for partner carriers Air Wideroe and Air Baltic, a development that Hylander conceded had taken some by surprise.
”I fully understand that the Q400 decision was strange, but they are completely new aircraft,” he said.
”It”s like buying a Volvo in 2003 and [again] in 2008.”
The SAS vice president insisted that the new aircraft ” purchased in a complex financial arrangement with manufacturer Bombardier ” had a new landing gear system ” the apparent source of incidents involving SAS Q400 types.
”We decided not to keep the older aircraft because of the lack of confidence from our customers and flying crew,” said Hylander.
”[However] We are not excluding the possibility of operating the new Q400 in the future in a Danish and Swedish airline.”
H also revealed something of the logistical headache posed by SAS” decision to withdraw its Q400 fleet.
”I was general manager for Germany and it was an extremely difficult situation,” he said. ”All of our Hamburg and Hanover operations, half of Dusseldorf, and some of Berlin were Q400. It was very, very tough but we managed to sort it out with Lufthansa”s help