SAS presents SEK28m bill for tsunami airlifts

Airline Industry Information, Jan 25, 2005

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2005 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) has sent a bill for SEK28m to the governments of Denmark, Norway and Sweden for bringing back Nordic citizens from Thailand after the tsunami.

From 26 December 2004 to 4 January 2005 SAS organized 23 evacuation flights from Bangkok to Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, bringing home around 3,600 injured and stranded people from the region.

Some of the aircraft were converted into air ambulances, and this cost was included in the bill.

The bill should not present any surprises as the governments had signed a contract for the flights, personnel and aircraft, said the airline. The governments declined to comment.

Charter companies, which also laid on extra flights from the tsunami region, are also expected to ask for money from the governments of the three countries. The exact figure is not known but is estimated at SEK200m, reports The Associated Press.

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