Scandinavian Airlines, typically known as SAS, has announced that beginning on June 2, passengers can reserve their seats aboard one of three inaugural commercial electric flights. The reservations are open to travelers within Sweden, Norway, or Denmark, where each of the three inaugural flights will occur. This flight is said to be one of the first electric commercial flights in aviation history and will set place in 2028.

SAS brings electric flight to commercial aviation

The airline has officially released reservation details for the future electric commercial flight. Passengers will be able to reserve a maximum of two seats per reservation and per person. The opening price for this flight is 1946 KR ($178.15), with the included fees and taxes to be paid 30 days before the first flight. This cost is a tribute to the year when SAS began flying.

The exact date for the initial departure has yet to be decided, although SAS aims to operate the flight in 2028. Additionally, there has been no route decided yet. Neither the departure airport nor the arrival airport has been communicated. No distance or duration has been announced, mainly because this depends heavily on the aircraft's capacity. No aircraft that will fly this route has been decided, although SAS has several initiatives in researching aircraft for this exact application.

The airline has also stated that 2028 is its current goal and cannot guarantee that this flight will occur at the given time. SAS says that the time of the flight is estimated based on a dialogue with potential suppliers and the suppliers' estimates on delivering the electric aircraft. Because of this, the airline has allowed for the transfer of the reservation of seats to someone else free of charge. The reservations will also be allowed to be withdrawn.

Scandinavian Airlines attempting to be net-zero emissions

The airline, the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, aims to be a net-zero emission airline by 2050. Because of this, the airline is pushing to develop the use of electric aviation on commercial trips, typically with shorter routes.

The President and Chief Executive Officer of SAS, Anko van der Werff, spoke about the significant milestone, saying,

"Since its inception in 1946, SAS has been one of the pioneers in the airline industry, being, for instance, the first commercial airline operator to fly over the North Pole to significantly shorten flight time between continents. A groundbreaking activity for which SAS received the Columbus Prize. The fact that we can now invite our passengers to the next major milestone in the future of aviation is a natural continuation of that pioneering spirit and a significant step on our journey towards more sustainable aviation."

In addition to SAS working towards electric commercial flights, the airline has made other steps towards a more sustainable future. In 2014, SAS flew its first flight using a mix of biofuel. The airline has been working towards utilizing other sustainable fuels to replace the commonly used fossil fuels in aviation. The airline also made a commitment to zero-emission aircraft in 2019. This was in a partnership with Airbus and Heart Aerospace to use low and zero-emission electric and hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft.