SAS places $10 billion order for up to 40 Airbus widebodies

Scandinavian Airlines announced on Tuesday that it will purchase up to 40 Airbus widebody aircraft in what the carrier called the largest investment in its history, with a total list price exceeding $10 billion.investing+1

The order includes a mix of A330neo and A350 jets and is intended to expand the airline's long-haul network, linking Scandinavia with major international markets in the coming decades. Deliveries are expected to begin in the early 2030s.globalbankingandfinance+2

A Post-Bankruptcy Transformation

The deal arrives less than two years after SAS emerged from U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August 2024, concluding a restructuring that eliminated more than $2 billion in debt and overhauled its fleet and operations. The airline, now partially owned by Air France-KLM, had entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2022 after years of financial strain worsened by the pandemic.sfnet+3

The widebody order follows a separate agreement announced in July 2025 for up to 55 Embraer ↗ 1.68% E195-E2 regional jets valued at approximately $4 billion — at the time, the largest SAS jet order from a manufacturer since 1996. Those deliveries are scheduled to begin in late 2027.prnewswire+1

Fleet Modernization at Scale

Together, the two orders represent a combined list-price investment exceeding $14 billion and signal the airline's ambition to modernize both its short-haul and intercontinental fleets. Reports in early June indicated Airbus was close to finalizing a deal for 15 to 20 widebodies, but the confirmed order announced Tuesday was substantially larger.reuters+1

SAS currently operates a long-haul fleet of A350-900 and A330 aircraft. The selection of both the A330neo and A350 cements Airbus's position in the carrier's fleet deep into the next decade, after earlier reports suggested Boeing ↗ 3.62% 787 and 777X models had also been under consideration.aerotime

The announcement comes ahead of the 2026 Farnborough Airshow next month, where major aircraft orders are traditionally unveiled.