SAS chief executive Anko van der Werff will step down at the start of 2027 to take the same role at Air Canada, the Scandinavian airline announced Wednesday. The board has begun the search for a successor and expressed regret over his departure while thanking him for his leadership.
Van der Werff, who joined SAS from Avianca Holdings in 2021, oversaw a period of major fleet renewal and a shift in ownership. During his tenure, Air France-KLM raised its stake to 60.5 percent, while Denmark retained roughly 26 percent and Norway and Sweden exited ownership. SAS also secured a deal last week for 40 long-haul Airbus jets, following last year's record order of 45 Embraer aircraft worth four billion dollars.
The airline has navigated headwinds including the recent fuel price shock that forced SAS to cancel more than 1,000 flights in March and April. Van der Werff confirmed in June that the carrier had begun hedging its fuel needs going forward.