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Now oil prices have dropped, will you be expanding your fleet?

The current financial situation is stable. However, I must say we hoped to have much better results than we had the first half of this year to be able to protect and to expand in the future.

The situation we have now is a little bit better now fuel prices have fallen but, on the other hand, because of the economic slowdown it's still uncertain. We just don't know what will happen and the airline industry is very sensitive to any political or economic occurrence.

However, despite this we do of course have intentions to expand our fleet, especially when it comes to the intercontinental one. We now have a modern fleet that flies to several places in Asia, Middle East and the US.

Between Copenhagen and Dubai we operate the Airbus A340 and we also have the smaller A330s. These aircraft are modern, they are fully equipped and they are a top class product.

In total we have 11 Airbus aircraft. The SAS group is the strongest in the Scandinavia and European market so we have smaller planes for very short journeys. The total number of planes across the group is more than 300, but that includes all aircraft owned by the airlines in the group.

What are the latest developments in the European market?

According to our five-year strategy which was drawn up 18 months ago, we have to focus on our aviation services in Northern Europe.

We are constantly looking at demand and attempting to increase frequencies in these areas. We really want to offer a better quality product for our frequent travellers and business travellers so they can choose whenever they want to fly. I think what's most interesting for the market here is our Scandinavian market.

You can fly with us to the smallest city and discover them - this is one of our core markets. We really give passengers the chance to discover the remote parts of the country and this is something not everyone can offer.

Is the current financial situation causing staff shortages?

We have had several programmes which we have had to strike. Nowadays, with the economy as it stands, you constantly have to look into new possibilities to save costs. We optimise our organisation which means we are looking for several solutions to our past and current organisation; for example we outsource several of our units.

It's not really about staff as such but we are looking at optimising our organisation so we look to improve things wherever possible. However, this can result in a reduction in staff, mainly in Scandinavia which is in line with the current economic situation. We are trying to become more efficient.

What kind of onboard services do you offer?

We have three classes, business, economy extra and economy. In business we have our business sleeper service, equipped with individual screens for viewing on demand. Each customer can choose any TV or music programme they would like to watch.

We operate a top service when it comes to food, but it does depend on the different routes and duration as to what meals we serve. In business class we offer a buffet service where the passenger can get up and help himself whenever he likes.

The customers can get coffee and snacks whenever they like. We also have a stretching bar in business class which passengers can use to exercise onboard the plane. We have a spacious toilet with a window in business class which customers also really appreciate.

Our economy extra class is a secluded cabin, separate in the galley and offers more comfort with upgraded food. In the standard economy class we have entertainment for each customer. This is especially good for people who are travelling with young children.

We are constantly trying to develop and improve the product. We want to investigate what it is the customer really needs and wants from the service.

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