Commercial aviation is a fast-moving, highly competitive industry, where every flight schedule is the result of meticulous planning and strategic decision-making. Behind every new route, frequency adjustment, or seasonal change, there’s a team working to balance profitability, operational constraints, and passenger demand. We sat down with Søren Lindegaard, Team Lead for Network Planning at Scandinavian Airlines (SK/SAS) to learn about the challenges, strategies, and decision-making processes that shape the airline’s operations.
What do network planners do?
Lindegaard’s team is the vital link between commercial ambitions and operational feasibility. “We see ourselves as the middle part of the company,” he explains. “Everything starts with the network.” SAS’s network planning team operates within three main pillars:
- Network Planning – Assessing the feasibility of the schedule, as well as slot portfolio and coordinating within the operational part of the organization (maintenance teams, flight crews and fleet). Ensuring the airline can operate the schedules as planned whilst balancing the need to add as many flights as possible without compromising operational performance.
- Network Management – Deciding when and where SAS should fly, taking into account demand, competition, and available resources..
- Schedule Distribution – Ensuring finalized schedules are properly communicated across booking systems, airline partners, and distribution channels.
Each pillar plays a key role in shaping SAS’s network, and Lindegaard’s team acts as the bridge between what the airline wants to fly and what it can realistically operate.
How SAS decides where to fly
“We want to be a profitable airline – everybody does!”
Profitability is at the heart of the airline’s route development strategy. But route decisions aren’t made in isolation; they involve a careful evaluation of several key factors…
SAS evaluates potential routes and passenger trends using both internal data and external tools like IATA statistics. The airline closely monitors competitor activity, assessing rival carriers’ capacity, pricing strategies, and likely responses to SAS’s moves. Fleet and crew constraints also play a key role, as available aircraft and crew resources determine the number of flights that can realistically be operated. Additionally, slot availability is a critical consideration, particularly at congested European airports where securing and retaining takeoff and landing slots is an essential part of the planning process.
The process involves constant adjustments. For example, if a route underperforms, frequencies might be reduced to avoid losses, while well-performing routes could see additional capacity.
The Planning Cycle: From Concept to Takeoff
Like most airlines, SAS operates on a structured planning cycle divided into winter and summer seasons, each requiring slot coordination and strategic scheduling.
- Slot Submission: Airlines apply for desired slots at key airports, a process governed by IATA slot conferences.
- Slot Coordination: Airlines don’t “buy” slots, contrary to a common misconception. Instead, they negotiate with airport coordinators to secure optimal timings.
- Seasonal Adjustments: The schedule is divided into three blocks – shoulder season, peak summer, and late-season adjustments. This allows more flexibility for market fluctuations.
- Final Optimization: The network team continuously refines the schedule based on trends in demand and aircraft availability.
“The key is flexibility,” Lindegaard explains. “We build a standard week template, then adjust based on holidays, business travel patterns, and competitive shifts.”
The aviation industry is unpredictable, requiring airlines to adapt quickly to external shocks. SAS has navigated several major disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of Russian airspace. “During the pandemic, we had to strip everything back to the essentials,” Lindegaard recalls. “At one point, we were operating only a skeleton schedule, keeping the hubs connected and ensuring key domestic routes remained open.”
The loss of Russian airspace posed another challenge, particularly for SAS’s routes to Asia. “A flight to Tokyo went from 9–10 hours to 13–14 hours,” Lindegaard says. “That meant we needed more aircraft time, which had a huge impact on costs and scheduling.” SAS ultimately had to make tough choices, such as suspending Shanghai services while focusing on more viable long-haul routes.
The right aircraft, the right route, the right time.
SAS operates a mixed fleet, ranging from the regional ATR 72-600 turboprop to widebody jets like the Airbus A350. Determining which aircraft to deploy on a particular route involves a mix of operational restrictions and strategic decisions. “We don’t buy aircraft for specific routes, but we do have to consider range, runway limitations, and competitive factors,” Lindegaard explains.
Short-haul aircraft like the Airbus A320neo are used for high-density European routes, while SAS’s widebody fleet serves intercontinental destinations. The decision-making process also factors in night stops. I.e. where aircraft and crew stay overnight at outstations to optimize early morning departures for business travelers.
“We’re constantly balancing what we want to fly with what we can fly—it’s an ongoing challenge, but that’s what makes it so interesting.”
Leveraging Data and AI in Network Planning
Whilst network planning remains a highly human-driven process, SAS is gradually integrating advanced analytics and AI-based tools. “We’re starting to use AI for demand forecasting and scheduling,” Lindegaard says. “But there’s still a lot of work to be done before it fully replaces human expertise.”
AI can help identify demand trends, optimize aircraft utilization, and even suggest schedule refinements. However, fine details—such as a crucial five-minute timing difference that can make or break a connection—still require human intuition and industry experience.
Goodbye Star Alliance, hello SkyTeam
SAS’s recent transition to the SkyTeam alliance is reshaping its network strategy. The airline is pivoting toward major SkyTeam hubs like Atlanta (ATL), Seattle (SEA), and Seoul (ICN), providing better connectivity for passengers traveling through the alliance’s network. However, SAS cannot directly coordinate with other SkyTeam airlines on route planning without a formal joint venture agreement, which limits immediate collaboration.
“The biggest change is that our passengers are now connecting through Amsterdam and Paris instead of Frankfurt and Munich,” Lindegaard explains. “But the long-term impact will take time to materialize.”
Common misconceptions
One of the biggest misconceptions about airline network planning? Slots. “People think airlines pay for slots outright,” Lindegaard says. “But slots are free – you just have to prove you can operate them effectively.” Additionally, many passengers don’t realize how much thought goes into flight timings. “Why is a flight at 6 AM instead of 10 AM? Because at 6 AM, the aircraft can do a second rotation that day, making it more efficient.”
If I could add any route tomorrow with unlimited resources, I would go with Mexico City. I’ve visited a few times and love the people, the culture, and of course the food. Plus, our Airbus A350 would look pretty great on the ramp at MEX!”
From selecting the right aircraft to optimizing schedules and responding to market shifts, airline network planning is an intricate, high-stakes puzzle. Søren’s team at SAS combine data-driven decision-making with industry expertise to ensure the right routes are flown at the right time.
Cover photo: Haocheng Fang, JetPhotos
![An example full flight summary response from the Flightradar24 API: { "data": [ { "fr24_id": "0987654321", "flight": "SK1415", "callsign": "SAS1415", "operated_as": "SAS", "painted_as": "SAS", "type": "A20N", "reg": "SE-DOY", "orig_icao": "ESSA", "orig_iata": "ARN", "datetime_takeoff": "2023-01-27T05:15:22", "runway_takeoff": "12R", "dest_icao": "EKCH", "dest_iata": "CPH", "dest_icao_actual": "EPWA", "dest_iata_actual": "WAW", "datetime_landed": "2023-01-27T06:15:10", "runway_landed": "27L", "flight_time": 3600, "actual_distance": 1007.74, "circle_distance": 6245, "category": "Passenger", "hex": "4A91F9", "first_seen": "2023-01-27T05:06:22", "last_seen": "2023-01-27T06:18:10", "flight_ended": "true" } ] }](https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Flight-summary-API-cover-300x148.jpg)
![An example full flight summary response from the Flightradar24 API: { "data": [ { "fr24_id": "0987654321", "flight": "SK1415", "callsign": "SAS1415", "operated_as": "SAS", "painted_as": "SAS", "type": "A20N", "reg": "SE-DOY", "orig_icao": "ESSA", "orig_iata": "ARN", "datetime_takeoff": "2023-01-27T05:15:22", "runway_takeoff": "12R", "dest_icao": "EKCH", "dest_iata": "CPH", "dest_icao_actual": "EPWA", "dest_iata_actual": "WAW", "datetime_landed": "2023-01-27T06:15:10", "runway_landed": "27L", "flight_time": 3600, "actual_distance": 1007.74, "circle_distance": 6245, "category": "Passenger", "hex": "4A91F9", "first_seen": "2023-01-27T05:06:22", "last_seen": "2023-01-27T06:18:10", "flight_ended": "true" } ] }](https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Flight-summary-API-cover-768x378.jpg)
4 Responses
As a resident of Stockholm with a region of around 4 million inhabitants, my choice is obvious – Hub Helsinki and Finnar, where 19 A359s and 8 A330s operate far more long haul flights than SAS.
An interesting statistic not covered in the article would be the number of flight deck crews employed by the airline per aircraft (e.g. 7 crews – 14 pilots – per A350, or whatever), and is it the same for all aircraft types within an airline. Same for complete cabin crews.
Absolutely fantastic! I’ve always wanted to know more about this area of the business.
One of the most challenging and intellectually stimulating courses I took in college was Operations Research. My professor, with extensive experience in the transportation industry—spanning airlines, trains, and freight—brought a wealth of real-world insight to the subject. Through this course, I gained a deep appreciation for the intricate mathematics and advanced computer science involved in making multiple simultaneous decisions. Without these experts and their sophisticated tools, the cost of flying would be astronomical.