Editing Scandinavian Airlines (section)

=== Jet era ===
[[File:SAS Carvelle SE-210 (19).jpg|thumb|A Scandinavian Airlines flight attendant serving passengers in the 1960s]]
[[File:SAS Royal Hotel, Copenhagen, 1955-1960.jpg|thumb|Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in central [[Copenhagen]], originally SAS Royal Hotel, designed by [[Arne Jacobsen]] and built in 1960]]
In 1959, SAS entered the [[jet propulsion|jet age]], having procured a number of [[France|French]]-built [[Sud Aviation Caravelle]]s as the company's first jetliner.<ref name = "official milestones"/> During the following year, another jetliner, the [[Douglas DC-8]], was also inducted into the fleet.{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}

In addition to modern airliners, SAS also adopted innovative operating practices and systems to improve the customer experience. In 1965, it was the first airline to introduce an electronic [[Computer reservation system|reservation system]].<ref name = "official milestones"/> During 1971, SAS introduced its first [[Boeing 747]] jumbo jet into service.<ref>{{cite web |title=SAS timeline More than 60 years in the sky |url=https://www.flysas.com/upload/International/SKI/Media-center/Mediakit/Oct09/SAS%20timeline.pdf |website=flysas.com |access-date=2 November 2014}}</ref> Prior to the delivery of its first 747s, SAS had formed the KSS maintenance consortium with [[KLM]] and [[Swissair]] in 1969 to provide a maintenance pool and standardize aircraft specifications for the three airlines' 747 fleets. The consortium later incorporated [[Union de Transports Aériens|UTA]] and was renamed into KSSU to jointly acquire and maintain [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]] widebody trijets.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_01/textonly/a01txt.html|title=SAS: The United Nations of the Air|publisher=Boeing|access-date=June 26, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.key.aero/article/rise-and-fall-swissair|title=The rise and fall of Swissair|author= Otto, K.|publisher=Key.Aero|date=10 July 2022}}</ref> In 1982, SAS was recognised as the most punctual airline operating in Europe at that time.<ref name = "official milestones"/>

During its first decades, the airline built two large hotels in central Copenhagen, ''SAS Royal Hotel'' (5 stars) and the even larger ''SAS Hotel Scandinavia'' (4 stars, with a casino on the 26th floor).<ref name = "official milestones"/> In 1980, SAS opened its first hotel outside of Scandinavia, the ''SAS Kuwait Hotel''. By 1989, SAS's hotel division owned a 40 percent share in the [[Intercontinental Hotels Group]].<ref name = "official milestones"/> Following the [[airline deregulation|deregulation of commercial aviation]] in Europe and the competitive pressures from new rivals, SAS experienced economic difficulties (as did many incumbent [[flag carrier]] airlines) this heavily contributed to the airline's decision to sell its hotel chain to the [[Radisson Hotel Group]] during 1992.<ref name = "official milestones"/>

[[File:SAS 1980s logo.svg|thumb|right|The company logo in the 1980s was made up of stripes in the colors of the flags of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.]]
[[File:Scandinavian 767-383ER.jpg|thumb|right|SAS operated flights to Greenland for more than 50 years until March 2003. The route reopened in spring 2007 until January 2009. Pictured: a [[Boeing 767|Boeing 767-300ER]] at [[Kangerlussuaq Airport]] (2001).]]