Scanair (DK)

This homepage is dedicated to the former charter legend of Scandinavia, SCANAIR.

Last updated 9th October, 2024
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In the end of the fifties charter carriers from Denmark ie Flying Enterprise and Nordair started to operate from Malmö in the southern part in Sweden.

Transair TSA Sweden had already began to operate from Sweden in a small scale flying DC-3 to Mallorca with the tour operator Knut-Oskar Nilsson from Örebro. Transair's business grew rapidly as it became well known that the cost of traveling by charter flights including hotels was very advantageous instead of traveling on scheduled flights to the more southerly latitudes.

As scheduled flights had begun to be diverted to jet aircraft, several airlines had to sell their four-engine propeller aircraft type Douglas DC6/DC6B and a litle later the larger and more powerful Douglas DC-7 on the market

Scanair

During 1961 an investigation was made by Scandinavian Airlines, SAS to find out the possibilities to utilize the their equipment and fleet of Douglas DC-7C "Seven Seas" for a new charter operator.

In May 1961 all investigations showed that it was entirely possible to take the first step to enter the charter market and on June 1961 Scanair was founded and was partially owned by Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS).

The first Douglas DC-7C flight took off 4th of September 1961from Stockholm to Athens. Six month later Scanair took the step into the jet-age and introduced the modern DC-8-33 on flights to the Canary Islands.

A pamphlet from the seatpocket

Scanair´s seatplans for Douglas DC-7C, Caravelle Jet and Douglas DC-8 Jet.

Scanair and the tourism grew fast. The DC-7C was to small and slow. The board decided that DC-8-33s designed for 165 passengers compared with 92 seats in the DC-7C should be the new backboone in the fleet. Scanair opened up newdestinations to i.e the Canary Islands, Sri- Lanka, Thailand and the winter resorts of Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

In June 1966 the company had to be reconstructed. Scanair like SAS became a syndicate like SAS 2/7, Denmark 2/7 Norway and 3/7 Sweden as SAS parent company in countries respectively. The finalcount down for the propeller era was now decided. The last propeller flight was made on 23 of December 1967, Scanair introduced three DC-8-33.

Scanair DC-7B KNC at Liverpool Int Airport

To increase capacity the Airbus A300 was acquired - but the A300's range was not sufficient for the needs and those were soon replaced with Douglas DC-10s. Scanair grew so much that by the 1980s was carrying over 2 million passengers.

Another charter airline in Sweden was Transair TSA AB, which had 3 Boeing 727s, which now

The jointventure Scanair/Transair TSA Sweden

In 1969, Scanair takes over sales responsibility for Transair's three Boeing 727s flown by Transair's crew on behalf of Scanair. Scanair's Swedish organization is now moving its operations from Stockholm to Malmö, which is Transair's home base. SAS accuired the company. Until 1971 about 3 mil with the Transair striking "Sunjet" logo on the fin.

Due to the unecconomical operation costs Scanair/SAS decided to take all DC-8-33 out from service. Instead SAS sat aside DC-8-55`s for Scanair operations with a higher density of seats.

Douglas DC-8-55 SE-DBD at Gando Las Palmas airport 1971
Photo:

Due to increasing popularity of chartertraveling Scanair decided to lease a Boeing 747 with 474 seatsfrom SAS on the high density routes to Gran Canaria and Rhodes in early 1971.

McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62, OY-KTD, Knud Viking, Banjul, Gambia 78-12-13
Photo Tony Edlind

On 1st of April 1978 Scanair received its first DC-8-62 and at the same time the fleet was named infeminine Viking names, the first DC-8-62 was named Ylva Viking. At the same time the DC-8-55 were faced out. The DC-8-62 was configurated in one class with 252 seats and Scanair was now ableto furnish their cabins. The fins were painted in the orange Transair Scanair "Sunjet" logo.

In 1977 Scanair had a fleet of 2 no DC-8-55, 1 no DC-8-62 (OY-KTG) och 3 no Boeing 727-134´s. Scanair also utlilized SAS and Linjeflyg, F-28 and DC-9´s. During the following years further one DC-8-62 was added to the fleet.1983 Scanair´s fleet consisted mainly of DC-8-62 for 189/195 pass-
engers.

Transair Sweden Boeing 727-134 SE-DDA, Narsarsuaq. Greenland 1981. Bild Kjell Nilsson

An era goes by when Transair makes its last flight on September 6, 1981 from Rhodes to Gothenburg. Since 1962, Transair Sweden has been connected to SAS or Scanair, but now the owner has decided to add Transair, which also flew for S. Boeing during the year. 727 aircraft are sold to the United States and the Philippines.

The New Era!

In 1984 Scanair introduced like SAS a new upto dated image, new paint-scheme, beautiful uniforms and super service. These were the contents in the "new" Scanair programme.

McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63 OY-SBL
Photo: Simon Barker

Scanair Airbus A300 SE-DFL at Gando, Las Palmas airport; Gran Canaria 1986.
Photo:

All Airbus A300s will be phased out of the fleet for delivery to Conair of Scandinavia. SE-DFL will be the first to leave the fleet and flew the last flight as DK202 Las Palmas to Stockholm. LN-RCAlast turn will be DK524 Rhodes to Arlanda and last SE-DFK with captain Nils Benker at the controls as DK502 also it flies Rhodes to Stockholm.

Scanair's management is looking for a successor to the DC-8-63 fleet. The ambition is to renew the fleet with 9 new aircraft before the 1990s. To cope with the competition, Scanair must become more cost-effective.

The Boeing 757 and 767 are interesting, as are the Airbus A300-600 and A310. In the first instance,the B757 is considered to meet Scanair's requirements but falls on the financing.

In Sweden, Scanair has 57% of the market, in Norway 29% and in total in Scandwing the decision to replace the DC-8 fleet with DC-10, Scanair has sold all aircraft to Aerolease International.

Together with SJ Resebyrå and Travel Management Group, Scanair forms the travel agency Always. The working name of the new travel agency company is Solresor and the head office is located in Gothenburg.

During 1987 Scanair leased the first McDonnell DC-10-10, SE-DHT from SAS. Scanair´s first own DC-10-10 started to operate during 1988.

Sharp economic downturn is expected throughout Europe in 1989 and Scanair prepares for declining profitability.

As part of becoming more cost-effective, Scanair takes over the technical and operational responsibility for its operations from SAS. The base in Copenhagen will be closed and moved to Arlanda.

During the year, Scanair had 42 percent of the charter market in Sweden and Norway. 56 percent of the traffic originates from Arlanda, 20 percent from Gothenburg, 10 percent from Malmö, 12percent from Oslo Gardemoen and 2 percent from Copenhagen.

1990

Scanair begins secret negotiations with Conair of Scandinavia on cooperation, but it leads no where.

McDonnell MD-82, LN-RMB
Photo:

Scanair is adapting its fleet and renting the MD-82 and MD-83 from SAS, now in Scanair's colors.
Thomas Rosengren will be the new CEO of Scanair with a good reputation as a former sales manager at Scanair.

The war in Iraq has led to an increased threat to aviation, which entails an increased threat to aviation and the world airlines are in a common recession and many airlines will leave the market.

Scanair's organization in Spain will be separated from SAS. Scanair traffic to Spain is 20 times larger than SAS. The reorganization will be more efficient with the economy and contact with authorities.

The crisis in the charter aviation industry during 1992 is growing. Scanair sells another DC-10 and more MD-80s are rented. Competition from other airlines is murderous. Scanair is now fighting Transwede, Air Sweden, Nordic East and Sterling Airways for the Swedish market.

The pressure on the charter market 1993 is eased a bit when Air Sweden (read Thomas Johansson) goes bankrupt after a failed investment with Lockheed Tristar.

Rumors of a collaboration between Scanair and Conair of Scandinavia are confirmed. The new airline goes by the name Newco, where SLG will own 40 percent. 40 percent of Spies and an unknown third party 20 percent.

In the end of 1993 (New Years Eve) Scanair was discontinued together with Conair of Scandinavia the new charter carrier.

December 31, 1993

All 350 cabin employees in Scanair are laid off due to lack of work. 190 selected people are offeredemployment in the new airline Premiar, which will start flying on 1 January 1994 with four DC-10-10from Scanair and six Airbus A320 from Conair of Scandinavia.

Scanair's last day in the air and a 32-year-old is over at midnight.

Scanair please come back soon!

The new charter airline Premiair DC10 takes off
from Manchester Int airport, UK

Scanair fleet
Scanair fleetlist

Links
Transair Sweden TSA

Credits