Summary
- SAS has bid farewell to its Boeing 737 fleet with a special flight, marking the end of an era.
- The final commercial flight of the Boeing 737 included a unique path to draw ‘700’ in the sky.
- SAS now relies heavily on Airbus narrowbody aircraft for most its short-to-medium-haul network.
SAS has said goodbye to the Boeing 737 fleet type with a special flight on November 19. The carrier has historically been a heavy user of the 737 jets but has gradually been replacing them with more modern and latest versions of the Airbus A320 family of planes over the years. SAS now does not have any Boeing planes in its fleet.
Special flight
On Sunday, SAS flew the Boeing 737 commercially for the last time, a flight it had announced over a month ago. The Scandinavian carrier flew the Boeing 737-700 (registered LN-RRB), aptly named flight SK737, from Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) to Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL).
That’s not all. In order to commemorate the flight and the type’s service over the years, the pilots of the flight followed a unique path to draw ‘700’ in the sky. SAS marketed the flight in September, asking everyone interested to book a ticket.
SAS and the Boeing 737
It’s, indeed, the end of an era, considering SAS’ long association with the Boeing 737. Per ch-aviation, SAS has operated more than 100 737 aircraft over the years, including the 737-400, -500, -6–, -700, and -800.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
But these planes were getting old. The average age of SAS’ Boeing 737-700 fleet was 19 years. The aircraft that flew the last flight on November 19 was delivered in 2007 and has flown more than 41,000 miles across 31,055 flight cycles. SAS knew the important role the 737 played in its operations over the decades and shared this message on social media in September:
“The Boeing 737 has served us well, but it’s time to say goodbye to this iconic aircraft, to make way for the next generation, more efficient aircraft, which we have been phasing in for the last few years.”
Fleet evolution
While the Boeing 737 has also evolved with its MAX version, SAS has decided to stick with Airbus for its future fleet development. The carrier now significantly relies on the Airbus narrowbodies for its European network and has more than 55 of the A320 family of planes in its fleet.
Per Planespotters.net, it also has seven ATR 42/72 aircraft, three Airbus A350s, eight A330s, and 17 Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft. With the 737 gone, SAS currently has no Boeing aircraft in active service.
Photo: Omar F Martinez | Shutterstock
Last month, SAS showed its commitment to Airbus planes when it entered into a sale and leaseback agreement with Irish lessor AerDragon Aviation Partners for two Airbus A320neos. It also decided to retain an A330, which it had earlier decided to sell as part of its fleet restructuring plan.
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Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying SAS
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- SK/SAS
- Airline Type:
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s):
- Copenhagen Airport, Oslo Gardermoen Airport, Stockholm Arlanda Airport
- Year Founded:
- 1946
- Alliance:
- Star Alliance
- Airline Group:
- SAS Group
- CEO:
- Anko van der Werff
