Scandinavian Airlines has said it will cut as many as 5,000 jobs as it seeks to restructure for a post-Covid 19 world.

The outbreak has removed most of the demand for air travel and thereby the commercial basis for many airlines.

Currently, SAS is operating a limited domestic network in Norway and Sweden.

Given the current restrictions on travel, SAS said it expects limited activity during the important summer season.

“Covid-19 has forced SAS to face a new and unprecedented reality that will reverberate not only in the coming months, but also during the coming years.

“Our ambition is to continue to be the leading airline in Scandinavia and to have a leading role in the Scandinavian infrastructure as a guarantor of national and international connectivity.

“In order to continue this important societal function, we need to adapt our cost base to the prevailing circumstances.

“Regretfully, we are forced to adapt our workforce to lower passenger demand,” said Rickard Gustafson, chief executive of SAS.

He added: “Not least in view of the company’s successful journey in recent years, which has been made possible by the great work done by SAS’s competent and dedicated employees.

“We will now work intensively together with trade union representatives and others to identify solutions so that as few people as possible are affected.

“Furthermore, we remain ready to quickly ramp-up operations and reduce the number of affected positions if demand recovers more quickly.”

The workforce at SAS has notice periods with a mean of six months. 

The potential reduction of the workforce will be split between approximately 1,900 full-time positions in Sweden, 1,300 in Norway and 1,700 in Denmark.

The processes will be implemented in accordance with the labour law practices in each respective country, the carrier said.

During this process, SAS said it hoped to actively engage with unions and other stakeholders to seek solutions to reduce the number of actual layoffs across the group.