THE Scandinavian airline, SAS, is pledging to return to Hong Kong - but not in the near future. SAS previously operated four flights a week to Copenhagen, but postponed the service in February.
'The reason was poor profitability,' the carrier's regional director, Per Moller Jensen, said. 'We lost money on the route.' The economic downturn had created fierce competition in Europe, almost halving ticket prices, he said. Many business-class passengers had also switched to flying economy, where profit margins were lower.
Adding to SAS's woes was the fact the aircraft it flew on the route - Boeing 767s - were 'too small to be cost- efficient', Mr Jensen said.
'The result was that we had to close several routes, with Hong Kong being the most important. But we will be back in the long term. I expect this to happen within a year or two.' SAS is also in the process of ordering new aircraft, probably Airbus 340s, although Mr Jensen said: 'We must be sure of making money out of them. With a little luck, we can be back in Hong Kong in two or three years.
'We want to serve Hong Kong in the long term. There's no doubt about that. But we have to make money. That's the key issue.' The carrier has switched its freighter service from Macau to Chek Lap Kok, flying twice a week to Gothenburg.