tommy777

Hey all

US Airways has announced they will start 2 new European destinations next years. Rumour says one of them will be OSL

They are very welcome and with these numbers, I don't blame them. OSL is the second largest airport in Scandinavia:

September 2006
1. København - Kastrup 1.926.536 +1.0%
2. Oslo - Gardermoen 1.657.431 +10.9%
3. Stockholm - Arlanda 1.616.370 -1.0%


Year to date 2006
1. København - Kastrup 15.935.906 +5.1%
2. Oslo - Gardermoen 13.442.190 +12.2%
3. Stockholm - Arlanda 13.233.777 +3.0%

I guess the only one who doesn’t read these numbers is SAS Intercont...

GUWonder

I welcome more options from Scandinavia to the US ... even if it's not on my first choice of carrier. At least, unlike with CO, I'll get lounge access when flying US coach out of OSL like US provides at ARN.

MADflyer

And the rumour is that US will continue year round from ARN following next summers schedule.

SK and others get really good passenger statistics from the various airport authorities and do a lot of market research. Of course huge proportions of all three airports numbers are domestic and inter-Scandinavia.

I think the competitive problem for SK at OSL has been the loss of customers to BA and KL and secondarily to AF and LH and LX among others. It would be hard and expensive to get them back.

The American carriers are really benefiting from European taxes at AMS, LHR and FRA though and the low fares you see are actually higher as a greater percentage of the total cost of tickets with EU carriers is taxes at the European connection point that lowers the cost on these direct flights.

The cruise market is a major factor for the success of seasonal routes to Scandinavia as well as ships carrying 1000-2400 passengers now traffic the region each filling several aircraft over the Atlantic.

MADflyer

While US is certainly not my favorite carrier I have been forced to choose them several times now as I can find fares that give 100% in economy.

I like that they give minimum miles of 600 and have gained by taking short hops to DCA or BWI on the ends of my TAs.

I have started declining meal though and just eat at the great US International departure lounge at PHL.

I wonder if SK OSL ground will decline them as they said they did at ARN stating that they could not handle extra traffic at that key departure time and US had to turn to Novia as agent.

Redcap

Cant understand that SAS Ground Services (SGS) will decline any business that generates cash, I belive that Nova was the cheapest one and that is the only reason for US to choose them over SGS.
Would be great to see US at OSL if they come and i belive that SGS will be the chosen handlingagent over the other 3.

larsll

Who else are available? There is Servisair, which has been hard-cut after being dropped by Norwegian, and then there is NorthPort which was just founded, and is generally making a bit of a mess.

Regardless, since the SAS lounges in OSL are proper SK lounges (not rental) they will have to allow all *G pax travelling on US.

tommy777

My guess is Servisair. Like you said, they just lost DY so they should have available capacity

MADflyer

Lounge access was granted to *G and US C pax and *G and even *S were allowed to use the C Novia US check-in line. Full *G benefits no matter who is the agent.

Flights to USA require dedicated check-in minimum 3 stations and SK ARN is said to have declined US as they have their own flights and then TG pulls into same gate just as US departs.

tommy777

Yes, of course SK has to follow the *A contract and give lounge access...

But I think SK is not very happy with the US move on Scandinavia, that's why they didn't offer US handling at SK and that's why they won't at OSL.

IMO, SK has just themselves to blame. The market is there, but they don't do anything about it, of course others will move in

GUWonder

Exactly.

MADflyer

The seasonal market is definately there. It is much easier for carriers running away from LCCs in their home market to take the plunge for a new route.

If SK was to start flying from OSL they would have to do it with serious intentions of having it as a year round routing.

I do not think they will ever do it as the customer base is so price sensitive and willing to jump over to KL or BA for an easy connection if the price is right. Norway is a huge feeder market for both of those carriers.

If SK entered the market the competition would use price and make the route unprofitable for SK. I think the cargo market is very price sensative as well.

On the otherhand the huge American market is very willing to connect to a direct flight to Scandinavia but that market is only sufficiently sizeable seasonally.

larsll

Add LH to that list. FRA and MUC flights are constantly full with connecting pax, and this Monday I got BN89 on the morning FRA-OSL, even when checking in at 10pm...

harri

Just a note: In OSL's case the statistics are a little misleading, half of OSL passangers come from domestic flights.

tommy777

All of the growth you see at OSL is international traffic, and OSL has the largest growth by far. Neither DY or SK has opened any new domestic routes from OSL in 2006, the frequency to various domestic destinations from OSL is about the same

FT Guest xyzpdq

Just a bit of stats here (all taken of the airports homepages):

Just at bit of stats:

OSL
September to date OSL had 7.2m international pax (14.6% growth YoY) and 6.3m domestic pax (9.5% YoY growth). Total is 13.4m pax (10.9% growth YoY)

CPH
September to date CPH had 14.6m international pax (4.6% growth YoY) and 1.3m domestic pax (10.8% YoY growth). Total is 15.9m pax (5.1% growth YoY)

ARN
September to date ARN had 9.3m international pax (9% growth YoY) and 3.8m domestic pax (-8% YoY growth). Total is 13.2m pax (3.5% growth YoY)

By number of passengers CPH is the largest airport both in total passengers and (by far) in international passengers (which is the interesting part in this context).

ARN & OSL are practically on par in terms of total passengers. However, OSL is still (by far) the smallest airport of the three in terms of international passengers – although growing very fast indeed both in domestic and international traffic. This is of course makes OSL interesting.