Braathens ASA, until 1997 Braathens South American & Far East Airtransport A/S and trading as Braathens SAFE, was a Norwegian airline which operated from 1946 until it merged with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) in 2004 to become SAS Braathens. For most of its history, Braathens was the largest domestic airline in Norway, but did not operate an international network for many years. Its main hubs were Oslo Airport, Fornebu and later Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, and briefly Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. The airline operated 118 aircraft of 15 models, mostly Boeing 737 variants. Braathens served 53 airports and 50 cities with scheduled services through its history.
Braathens Douglas DC-3 in 1952 wearing the airline's full name
Douglas DC-6 in 1971
Fokker F-27 Friendship in 1974
Fokker F-28-1000 Fellowship in 1972
Scandinavian Airlines, more commonly known and styled as SAS, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. SAS is an abbreviation of the company's full name, Scandinavian Airlines System or legally Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark-Norway-Sweden. Part of the SAS Group and headquartered at the SAS Frösundavik Office Building in Solna, Sweden, the airline operates 180 aircraft to 90 destinations. The airline's main hub is at Copenhagen-Kastrup Airport, with connections to 109 destinations around the world. Stockholm Arlanda Airport is the second largest hub, with Oslo Airport, Gardermoen being the third major hub of SAS. Minor hubs also exist at Bergen Airport, Flesland, Göteborg Landvetter Airport, Stavanger Airport, and Trondheim Airport. SAS Cargo is an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines and its main office is at Copenhagen Airport.
A privately preserved Douglas DC-3 wearing SAS' late 1940s-style markings
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in central Copenhagen, originally SAS Royal Hotel, designed by Arne Jacobsen and built in 1960
SAS operated flights to Greenland for more than 50 years until March 2003. The route reopened in spring 2007 until January 2009. Pictured: a Boeing 767-300ER at Kangerlussuaq Airport (2001).
The current head office, the SAS Frösundavik Office Building as seen in 2007