– We will first and foremost prioritize those who are stranded. They are brought home first, says communications manager in Apollo Beatriz Rivera to news. Crete is the place where Apollo has the most stranded guests. The Greek island is thus their first priority. Several have been stranded on the island since July 6. According to SAS, about 3,000 Norwegian tourists were stranded yesterday in connection with the strike. SAS hopes to bring home many of these as early as Tuesday. – The first four flights will take home about 700 passengers, says press manager at SAS, Tonje Sund to news. SAS says that it is the routes to Santorini and to Chania in Crete that will be the first priority. Here, empty planes will depart from Norway to bring home the many stranded tourists. – It is a great pleasure for the travel party and me, says Kevin Hjelmseth (26) to news. The party has been stranded in Crete for ten days. Now they are finally on their way home to Tromsø. From left: Veronika Stakkevold Simonsen, Line Stakkevold, Kevin Hjelmseth, Eline Øwre, Bjørn Simonsen and Målfrid Blokkum. Photo: Privat Hjelmseth and cohabitant Veronika Stakkevold Simonsen (30) traveled to Crete on 2 July with the latter’s parents. The plan was to go home on July 9. That was not the case. Ten days later, they are still in Crete. This morning at 9.45 a highly anticipated message from Apollo arrived. At 13.20 local time, their plane will take off for Tromsø. – My roommate howled, I almost did not believe what I heard. You dare not believe in anything in these times, says Hjelmseth. They have stayed in the hotel area in case the return journey approached. Hjelmseth should actually have been back at work over a week ago. The hope is to line up tomorrow. – We dare not let go of the cheers before we sit on the plane, he adds. Some passengers are also stuck on Samos and Kárpathos, according to Apollo. Will take a day or two The travel company is also looking forward to sending people on vacation again. – We look forward to fulfilling holiday dreams, instead of crushing them, Rivera says. Despite the end of the 15-day strike, 112 flights have already been canceled on Tuesday. Kjetil Håbjørg, head of SAS in Norway, is pleased that the parties agreed. It is a big logistics work that will be merged to get all tourists home and out on holiday. According to Kjetil Håbjørg, head of SAS in Norway, it will take a day or two before air traffic is back in full operation. – But we should be able to help very many of our passengers already today, he says to news. SAS prioritizes stranded passengers Many people wonder when they can go out to fly again, or how to get home from holiday. SAS will primarily prioritize flying home stranded passengers. The Greek islands are among the places of priority. – Now it is important for us to get started and get all the planes in the air, Håbjørg says to news. Flights that have already been canceled will remain canceled, SAS writes in a press release. – Very happy Maren Tjøtta is sales manager in the travel agency Ticket. When news meets her on Tuesday morning, she is brilliantly pleased that the strike has finally ended. – It takes some time before SAS comes up to date, but last night I was very happy. Now it is moving forward, says Maren Tjøtta, sales manager at Ticket in Sandnes. For her and her colleagues, the strike has led to a lot of extra work. They have many customers who travel with SAS. – We have called all the customers who have packed through us and found a new return journey, an alternative departure or have had to repay the trip, says Tjøtta. – Our customers are very happy that we call and find alternative ways home, she adds. Several passengers are stuck on the Greek islands. Photo: Halvard Alvik / NTB Ving is also happy that their customers can finally travel again. – It was a very gratifying message to receive. There are many travelers who have been affected by the strike in the last two weeks, says press contact in Ving, Anna Hagberg. Right now they only have a dozen stranded passengers who are going back to Norway, but several hundred have been affected by the travel company. She says that they have tried to find alternative solutions with other airlines in recent weeks. – We see that people have a great desire to travel after the pandemic, so we are very happy about this, says Hagberg. Signed new agreement The parties agreed on this: The new agreement will apply for five and a half years, and covers all three companies. By 2024, 450 dismissed pilots will be re-employed in full-time positions. This will take place in step with the escalation of aircraft operations. Lawsuits against SAS are withdrawn. SAS granted the unions an unsecured claim for the pilots of one billion Swedish kroner in the restructuring process. The pilots will be paid a total of 100 million Swedish kroner over five and a half years. The agreement between SAS and the pilot associations will now be voted on by the members. The pilots have also agreed to a pay cut. Kjetil Håbjørg tells news that the management contributes with a salary freeze from 2019 to 2025. – Everyone who works in and with SAS must contribute for this to succeed. This applies to creditors and employees, including the management, says Håbjørg, to news on Tuesday morning. Aviation analyst: – Believes SAS survives Aviation analyst Hans Jørgen Elnæs believes that SAS will survive. But now it’s about rebuilding customer trust. – SAS has a bit of a task when it comes to rebuilding trust. Here they really have to deliver top class, says the aircraft analyst to NTB. Elnæs believes the SAS management cannot lower their shoulders yet. – It is demanding for SAS now. During this conflict, the reputation has gained a real foothold. SAS must come up with a strategy as soon as possible to win the customers’ favor, he says. Apologies – The first thing we want to do is apologize to customers, said SAS CEO Anko van der Werff when he met with the press in Stockholm on Tuesday night. SAS CEO Anko van der Werff was present when the strike ended last night. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news When asked how passengers should trust SAS after the long strike, the CEO answered the following: – It is up to us at SAS to show that this is not who we are. We want to make sure that we protect our customers, that we unite as a company around our customers.
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