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STOCKHOLM, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Scandinavian Airlines SAS looked to set up bases in London and Spain in a bid to cut staff costs and compete with budget airlines in the region, local media reported Thursday.
It would be SAS' first hubs outside of Scandinavia, Swedish television reported.
Eight SAS aircraft will be placed in London or Spain. They will be manned by locally-employed pilots and cabin staff, according to media reports.
With such a plan, SAS said new operations would be in service a year later.
SAS, the largest carrier in Scandinavia, is part-owned by Sweden, Norway and Denmark. It operates about 156 aircraft to 118 destinations, according to the company's latest financial result.
Basing aircraft, and locally-employed pilots and cabin staff would lower labor costs, SAS chief executive Rickard Gustafson said in a statement.
The new operations would be a complement to rather than a replacement of current operations, and the bulk of the production would still be in Scandinavia, he said.
