SAS calls Kjos a liar – VG

First, arguing he pilots his. Now arguing Kjos with competitor.

Since Saturday there has stormed around Norwegian when 18 flights were canceled and more were set at very short notice.

Director Kjos met the press Thursday at the Norwegian’s headquarters Fornebu, after several days where he has been unavailable for journalists. Where he used the occasion to send a kick against flyrivalen her.

– Russia has reserved all eastward-flight for SAS. So although SAS does not fly from Norway, for example to Russia, so do not get Norwegian entry in those areas. Where could we have grown very much. But now we’re not allowed, because it is only reserved for SAS, said Kjos.

Knut Morten Johansen, Communications Director of SAS, followed by press conference. He responds to what he calls lies from Norwegian director. Johansen believes that Kjos blames SAS for Norwegian unable to use Russian airspace.

– I do not know why he repeats such a lie. The reason is that the Russian authorities do not accept wet lease (chartering aircraft and crew from other companies, such as Norwegian uses, journ.’s Note.). It has absolutely nothing with SAS to do and it is completely incomprehensible that he pulls us. It’s his own business model that is the problem for the Russians. It is dumbfounding that he is doing so, says Johansen.

Kjos about SAS: – Their strategy is simply to tap us for money

Breeds against “ Beach-king ”

Norwegian has become dependent on the pilots sell their holidays to keep air travel’s going. Last year the company bought 3,500 days. Asked by VG about the fact makes it safer to fly with SAS if one is afraid of cancellations, said Kjos that the two airlines have very different business models.

– We fly very far to the south, while SAS is largely absent, said Kjos.

This puts Johansen completely incomprehensible.

– We may disclose that Norwegian has 28 departures from Gardermoen, while SAS 20. saying we are absent is quite misleading.

Affected? This you are entitled to by cancellations

– Norwegian: Do equal terms

Norwegian for its part denies that Kjos liar.

– Kjos not blame SAS for Norwegian can not fly over Russia. He reacts to a Scandinavian airline will do it, but not another, writes press officer Charlotte Holmbergh Jacobsson in an e-mail.

Jacobsson says that Norwegian wants to compete with SAS on equal terms. In Defence of Kjos commentary that SAS is absent in the South, so highlighting the Norwegian presence in Spain.

– Kjos believed that Norwegian has a much greater presence in Spain than the SAS – and the voices, writes Jacobsson.

the airline industry’s reputation

the last few years have been marked by several massekanselleringer and strikes in the airline industry. It makes communications manager Johansen to fear for the reputation across airlines.

– We form a picture of an industry that is riddled by irregularities that detract from the product, we are all involved in supplying. It is not nice and we rejoice not that a competitor has done such a thing. It’s sad, says Johansen.