Passenger boost for SAS on Faroe route

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flights have often been more empty than full since the airline started flying to and from the Faroes two years ago.

But passenger numbers are now steadily improving after the airline had its so-called RNP flight regularity technology approved late last year.

RNP stands for required navigation performance. This technology allows aircraft to fly a specific path between two 3D-defined points in space. RNP technology is also useful in areas where poor visibility is a common problem – a common occurrence in winter at Vágar Airport.

RNP boosts ticket sales

Vágar Airport recently installed an RNP system, and Atlantic Airways has been using its own since 2012.

Without this technology, SAS flights have often had difficulty landing at Vágar Airport due to poor weather conditions. But the number of delays and cancellations has now dropped dramatically.

”As soon as we got the RNP approval, our ticket sales went up,” says Mariam Skovfoged, PR manager at SAS. 

More flights planned

SAS currently has four weekly flights on the Faroe route, but the airline is planning to introduce more flights this summer.

It is, however, not yet clear how many weekly flights the company will schedule for next winter, says Skovfoged.

“We are now relying on our RNP approval to increase passenger numbers in autumn and winter, as those have been our most challenging seasons.” 

Translated by prosa.fo