SAS Scandinavian Airlines appoints Dnata Airline Affairs as General Sales Agent in the UAE

Dnata will offer Ticket sales, booking service, call centre services as well as an airport ticket office at Dubai International Airport.

In addition, Dnata will support and execute sales and marketing activities and travel agency help desk, with the aim of increasing the SAS brand and product awareness in the UAE. SAS Scandinavian Airlines announced earlier this year that it will open a new route between Dubai and Copenhagen as from 31st October 2007. SAS will initially operate this route three times a week with Airbus A340.

Gary Chapman, President Group Services & Dnata, Emirates Group, said: "In less than ten years from the birth of Dnata which was established in 1969 as the sole ground handling agent at Dubai International Airport, Dnata Agencies was formed to assume the role of General Sales Agent (GSA) in Dubai to represent the sales of the growing number of airlines operating to Dubai. In 1966 a total of six GSA agreements were signed with British Airways, Air India, Pakistan International Airlines, Gulf Air, Iran Air, and Kuwait Airways with Middle East Airlines signing in 1967. Dnata Agencies was the first travel agency in Dubai. In just over 40 years the General Sales Agency division has grown to representing the commercial interests of 40 airlines with the signing of its 40th GSA carrier expected by September 2007."

The SAS Business Class is equipped with SAS Business Sleeper seats with 170-degree decline offering highest level of comfort and service. SAS economy premium concept called Economy Extra in a 2-3-2-seat configuration, extra wide seats and increased leg space, as well as individual video screens with video-on-demand feature. Economy Extra class passengers are furthermore entitled to check-in at the Business Class check-in and security lines. The Economy Class offers an individual video screen in all seats with the possibility to enjoy video films, games and audio channels during the entire flight.

Per Möller Jensen, SAS head of Europe, Middle-East and Africa, said:

"We look forward to the new SAS route from Copenhagen to Dubai in cooperation with Dnata Travel Services. We are convinced Dnata will offer a professional service to our customers and will promote SAS whenever possible."

SAS has furthermore appointed Magnus Engström as SAS country manager for the UAE in order to further strengthen SAS's representation, especially to the Scandinavian community.

SAS offers flights from Dubai via Copenhagen to Northern Europe, for example to Stockholm, Göteborg, Oslo, Helsinki, Hamburg, Berlin, Hannover, Düsseldorf, Baltic Countries, Iceland, Greenland, Ireland, Scotland, Chicago and Seattle. From Copenhagen SAS offers non-stop intercontinental flights to New York, Washington DC, Seattle, Chicago, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Beijing.