New head of SAS airline is named

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Monday October 16, 2006

Stockholm- Swedish national Mats Jansson was on Monday named new chief executive of the SAS Group that operates Scandinavian Airlines. Jansson, 54, was slated to begin effective January 1, and joins SAS from the position of chief executive of the family-owned Swedish company Axel Johnson AB that has specialized in consumer trading and trading-related services in the Nordic market, including department stores.

SAS board chairman Egil Myklebust said that "the board is unanimous in its view that he is the right leader to continue developing SAS."

Jansson said in a brief statement that "the airline industry and SAS still need to undergo changes."

Jansson succeeds Danish national Jorgen Lindegaard, who left earlier this year after taking over in May 2001.

During Lindegaard's tenure SAS struggled - as did many other carriers - with the fallout from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US that throttled the travel business.

The carrier also faced stiff competition from low-frills airlines and rising fuel costs.

Last year, SAS completed a massive savings programme that likely saved the company from collapse.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency