Scandinavian Airlines Systems (SAS), also known as Scandinavian Airlines, has recently been named ‘European Airline of the Year in 2026’ at the Grand Travel Awards. SAS has taken home one of the most prestigious awards in the Norwegian travel industry, voted for by employees in travel agencies and trade professionals.
The Grand Travel Awards saw over 300 people in attendance to see the best of the best in aviation
The Grand Travel Awards are held annually, with the first ceremony taking place in 1995. Nominees and winners are chosen and voted upon by those in the travel industry.
SAS was part of a list of nominees including: KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Icelandair, LOT Polish Airlines and Finnair. Scandinavian Airlines was represented at the awards by Øystein Schmidt, head of press, and Bjørn Erik Barman-Jenssen, vice president ground ARN & OSL.
Edward Fotheringham, vice president of global sales, was also present at the ceremony and dedicated his speech to his colleagues:
”This award is a true tribute to the dedication, professionalism and resilience shown by our colleagues across the entire organisation”
”Over the past few years, we have rebuilt our company step by step – improving reliability, strengthening our product and putting our customers firmly back at the centre of everything we do. Being named European Airline of the Year shows that the industry recognises both our progress and our direction. And while we are incredibly proud today, we also know that there is much more to come”.
SAS’s ongoing transformation shows that customer satisfaction and punctuality have improved greatly
In a statement, SAS praised how they have improved punctuality, had higher customer satisfaction, and Net Promoter Score ‘continues to rise strongly’.
This has been completed through the return of the option of ‘Business Class, expanded lounge access, the launch of several new routes, and the upcoming installation of free high-speed, low-latency Wi-Fi across the entire fleet, powered by Starlink’.
2026 marks 80 years since SAS first came onto the aviation scene
On Aug. 1, 1946, SAS was formed by Danish, Norwegian and Swedish airlines for international routes. Their first intercontinental route took place in September 1946, a month after their establishment. The route saw SAS fly from Stockholm, Sweden, to New York City.
With their home base in Stockholm, the airline’s growth over their eighty-year history has seen hubs developed in Copenhagen and Oslo. In 1997, SAS became a founding member of the Star Alliance. The Star Alliance is the world’s first and biggest global airline network, comprising of airlines such as Air Canada, Lufthansa, THAI, SAS and United to bring worldwide travel to passengers across 1,150 destinations. Currently, Star Alliance has 25 member airlines and partners, helping to fly travellers across the world easily.
Have you flown on an SAS flight? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
