SAS eyes Dubai as a regional hub

SAS Scandinavian Airlines, the combined multinational airline of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, is ready to expand in the Middle East and to Asia by using Dubai as its regional hub said the newly appointed manager for the UAE, Albert Henschel.

SAS is going to step up frequency on its current Dubai flights because "Dubai is a good and increasing market and the region is becoming more and more important for us,” Henschel said in a report by Gulf News .

Currently, SAS flies three times a week from its main European hub in Copenhagen to Dubai, but only in the northern winter months from October to March.

Henschel, who took over the position as General Manager of SAS in the UAE last week, said he is keen to stretch the flight timetable into summer, targeting the "big Nordic business community" in Dubai, and also leisure customers and tourist groups.

"Scandinavian businesses are well represented here", says Henschel, referring to companies such as Ericsson, Volvo, Scania or Ikea.

And there is an "exciting demand from tourists" who want to escape the cold in the north and enjoy the sunny Dubai lifestyle, he adds. In this regard, SAS is cooperating with Dnata's travel booking service.

Furthermore, Henschel is working on code share agreements to link SAS flights landing in Dubai with destinations in India and, later on, in Pakistan, Iran and Jordan.