On November 19, 2023, Scandinavian Airlines operated its last Boeing 737 flight. The flight was not only the last 737 flight for SAS but also its last Boeing aircraft-operated flight. With the exception of its SAS Link subsidiary which uses Embraer E195s, the airline only operates Airbus aircraft starting from today.
To commemorate the occasion, SAS operated a special farewell flight from Stockholm to Oslo. Continue reading to learn not only about the flight but also a bit about the airline’s fleet.
Scandinavian Airlines Flight 737
Sporting an appropriate flight number, SK737, SAS’ last Boeing 737 flight made a journey from Stockholm, Sweden, to Oslo, Norway. The flight was operated by a 737-700 registered LN-RRB.
While there are multiple daily flights on the route operated by SAS, Norwegian, and even a fifth freedom flight by Ethiopian Airlines, flight SK737 was different. Rather than taking the usual 40 or 50 minutes that other flights on the route take, it took two and a half hours.
That’s because the flight made a detour to Copenhagen, Denmark, to bid farewell to the third country of which SAS is a flag carrier. The aircraft didn’t land there, though. Instead, it flew 850 feet above Kastrup Airport’s runway 04R.
Flight SK737 took off from Stockholm Arlanda Airport’s runway 08 at 6:48PM and landed on Oslo Gardermoen Airport’s runway 01R at 9:19PM but not before making a fly-by over the runway.
SAS Boeing 737: 2 Generations, 5 Variants, 100+ Airframes
While during the 737’s last days at SAS, the airline only operated a handful of 737-700s, in the past, the airline was a major operator of the type. Between 1993 when SAS received its first 737 airframe and yesterday, the airline operated over 100 airframes of the type spanning two generations and five variants.
The first 737 to join its fleet was the Classic generation’s shortest variant, 737-500. Then, in 1998, SAS went “Next Generation” with the delivery of its first 737-600. It was the launch customer for this relatively rare variant. The 737-700 followed in 1999, and the 737-800 in 2000.
Finally, in 2004, the airline got four of the longest Classic variant, 737-400, as part of a merger with Norway’s Braathens.
Unsurprisingly, the 737 Classic variants – 737-400 and 737-500 – were the first to leave the SAS fleet with both being retired in 2013. The 737-600 followed in 2019 while the last 737-800 left SAS’ fleet earlier this year.
Other Boeing aircraft types operated by Scandinavian in the past included a couple of 747 Classic variants and the 767 (-200ER and -300ER).
An All Airbus Present and Future
As mentioned earlier, with the retirement of the Boeing 737, SAS became an all-Airbus airline (with the exception of SAS Link’s Embraers and wetleased aircraft).
On primarily intra-European routes, the airline uses a mix of A320ceo series and A320neo series aircraft.
Starting with the ceos, SAS has four A319s including one in an eye-catching retro livery and 11 A320-200s. It received its first airframe of the former in 2006 and of the latter in 2012. While it used to also operate the A321-200, it retired the type from its fleet earlier this year as the aircraft were considerably older than the A319s and A320-200s.
As for the A320neo family, SAS has 56 A320neos (with more on order) and three A321LRs.
Its widebody fleet consists of A330-300s and A350-900s.
Summary
As part of its fleet modernization, SAS has been retiring some of the older aircraft in its fleet. Earlier this year, the airline retired its last Airbus A321-200 and Boeing 737-800. Yesterday, it operated its last Boeing 737-700 flight. In addition to being the last SAS 737 flight, it was also the last SAS Boeing flight.
With that, the airline that once used to operate a major fleet of the 737, as well as 747s and 767s in the more distant past, has turned into an all-Airbus operator. SAS’ narrowbody fleet now consists of mainly A320neos with some A319s, A320-200s, and A321LRs mixed in. The airline also operates A330 and A350 widebody aircraft.
Being used to seeing SAS 737s at various airports around Europe back when I was living in Slovakia, it’s sad to see the airline bidding farewell to the type!
