SAS cancels over 100 domestic flights due to Middle East conflict

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has cancelled more than 100 domestic flights this week, citing rising fuel costs linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Bergens Tidende reports.

In a statement to the newspaper, SAS communications director Øystein Schmidt confirmed the cancellations, affecting routes to Oslo, Stavanger, and Trondheim. “Given the current situation in the Middle East, including the sharp and rapid increase in global fuel prices, we are now implementing measures to strengthen our resilience,” Schmidt said.

“To maintain reliable travel options for our customers, we are consolidating capacity on routes where alternative connections exist,” he added.

According to TV 2, a total of 110 SAS flights from Bergen, Oslo, Trondheim, and Stavanger have been cancelled this week. Rival airline Norwegian has not announced any domestic cancellations, with press spokesperson Catharina Solli stating: “Norwegian is continuously monitoring the situation, but there is currently no indication that cancellations will be necessary.”

Economic analysts warn that sustained high fuel prices could lead to increased ticket costs. Frode Steen, a professor of economics at NHH, told Bergens Tidende: “If this continues, airfares will become more expensive.” The impact on airlines depends on how much fuel they have purchased under fixed contracts versus spot market prices, he noted.