SAS named “European Airline of the Year 2026”

SAS has been named “European Airline of the Year 2026” at the Grand Travel Awards. The award is regarded as one of the most prestigious recognitions in the Norwegian travel industry and is based on votes from employees in travel agencies and other travel trade professionals. The Grand Travel Awards has been held annually since 1995, and winners are chosen by the industry itself.

SAS was selected from a strong field of nominated airlines, including KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Icelandair, LOT Polish Airlines and Finnair.

“This award is a true tribute to the dedication, professionalism and resilience shown by our colleagues across the entire organisation,” says Edward Fotheringham, VP Global Sales at SAS. “Over the past few years, we have rebuilt our company step by step – improving reliability, strengthening our product and putting our customers firmly back at the centre of everything we do. Being named European Airline of the Year shows that the industry recognises both our progress and our direction. And while we are incredibly proud today, we also know that there is much more to come.”

More than 300 guests from across the travel industry attended the award ceremony in Oslo, organised by Travel News. The awards reflect the preferences of customers and partners within both leisure and business travel.

The recognition reflects SAS’ progress in its ongoing transformation. Punctuality has improved significantly, and customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score continue to rise strongly. The customer offering has also been strengthened through the return of Business Class, expanded lounge access, the launch of several new routes, and the upcoming installation of free high-speed, low-latency WiFi across the entire fleet, powered by Starlink.

SAS was represented at the ceremony by Edward Fotheringham, VP Global Sales, Head of Press Øystein Schmidt and Bjørn Erik Barman-Jenssen, VP Ground ARN & OSL.