SAS's comments on the EU Commission's guidelines for financial support to the airline industry.

SAS's comments on the EU Commission's guidelines for financial support to the
airline industry.

Today the EU Commission presented its guidelines for financial support to the
airline industry following the Icelandic volcano eruption.

SAS notes that the Commission is following the line that SAS and the rest of the
industry has recommended, not only with respect to short-term liquidity
measures, but also in the matter of total compensation for the direct and
indirect costs that the industry incurred as a result of the suspension of
flights.

The Commission's report will be discussed among the EU's transport ministers
next week.

“The Commission's guidelines provide a sound and clear foundation for the
industry's continued discussions with the Scandinavian governments when we
address the financial consequences of this natural disaster,” says Mats Jansoon,
President and CEO of SAS in a comment.

“It is now important that these guidelines are applied in a consistent manner in
all of Europe so that there is not a distortion of competition between Europe's
airlines. The ultimate issue concerns securing infrastructure that is important
to society.

“It is essential that work continues at a high tempo so that our transport
ministers can take a joint decision regarding these principles for compensation
at their meeting next week. Forceful and coordinated political action at the
European level is now more important than ever,” concludes Mats Jansson.


SAS Group Corporate Communications

SAS Group media hot line: +46 8 797 2944