Editing Braathens ASA (section)

===Fall and merger with SAS===
[[Arne A. Jensen]] took over as CEO on 23 July 1999.<ref name=svenskelekse>{{cite news |title=Dyr svenskelekse |last=Tuv |first=Kirsten |work=[[Aftenposten]] |page=19 |date=10 November 1999 |language=no}}</ref> In February 1999, Braathens merged the Swedish division with Malmö Aviation, to create Braathens Malmö Aviation. At the same time, the airline removed the 'Best' and 'Back' scheme on domestic Swedish flights.<ref>{{cite news |title=Braathens endrer omstridt prissystem for flyreisende Klasseskille i Norge, ikke i Sverige  |last=Eliassen |first=Haakon E. H. |work=[[Aftenposten]] |page=18 |date=13 February 1999 |language=no}}</ref> In November, Braathens terminated all services in Sweden that were inherited from Transwede.<ref name=svenskelekse /> The following two years saw a large increase in ticket prices and a decrease of flights.<ref name=skaalmo210801>{{cite news |url=http://www.dn.no/arkiv/article16700.ece |title=Kraftig økning i norske flypriser |work=[[Dagens Næringsliv]] |last=Skaalmo |first=Siri |date=21 August 2001 |access-date=16 September 2009 |language=no}}</ref> Several domestic and international routes were cut in 2001, but introduced new international services to leisure destinations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Braathens fortsetter omleggingen – kutter kortruter |agency=[[Norwegian News Agency]] |last=Lillesund |first=Geir |date=15 November 2000 |language=no}}</ref>

The [[SAS Group]] and Braathens announced on 21 May 2001 that KLM and Braganza had agreed to sell their 69 percent stake in Braathens for NOK&nbsp;800 million to SAS— putting Braathens' value at NOK&nbsp;1.1 billion.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dn.no/arkiv/article12261.ece |title=Braathens under SAS' vinger |work=[[Dagens Næringsliv]] |last=Skaalmo |first=Siri |date=21 May 2001 |access-date=16 September 2009 |language=no}}</ref> Because the two would hold a near-monopoly on domestic services, the merger was investigated by the [[Norwegian Competition Authority]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dn.no/arkiv/article13842.ece |title=SAS stiller bonus-ultimatum |work=[[Dagens Næringsliv]] |agency=[[Norwegian News Agency]] |date=20 June 2001 |access-date=16 September 2009 |language=no}}</ref> They initially disapproved of the merger,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dn.no/arkiv/article16601.ece |title=Nekter SAS å kjøpe Braathens |work=[[Dagens Næringsliv]] |date=20 August 2001 |access-date=16 September 2009 |language=no}}</ref> With bankruptcy imminent and no other purchasers interested, the authority gave the green light on 23 October.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dn.no/arkiv/article19982.ece |title=SAS får kjøpe Braathens |work=[[Dagens Næringsliv]] |last=Meyer |first=Henrik D. |date=23 October 2001 |access-date=16 September 2009 |language=no}}</ref> As a condition, the authority decided to regulate a ban on frequent flyer programs, and stated that it would ban cross-subsidization aimed at underbidding or operating at a loss to force new entrants out of the market.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lavprisselskap kan ta av  |last=Dahl |first=Flemming |work=[[Aftenposten]] |page=23 |date=17 April 2002 |language=no}}</ref>

[[File:Braathens 737-405.jpg|thumb|A Braathens [[Boeing 737 Classic|Boeing 737-400]] in the airline's final livery]]
SAS and Braathens split all the routes between them on 2 April 2002. Braathens withdrew from the Oslo to Trondheim, Bergen and Stavanger routes, but took over most flights to Northern Norway.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lander på delt løsning |work=[[Dagens Næringsliv]] |last=Larsen |first=Trygve |date=1 February 2002 |page=4 |language=no}}</ref> On 24 April 2002, SAS announced that all handling services operated by Braathens would be taken over by [[SAS Ground Services]]. All SAS employees would be prioritized in the rationalization process, and 800 Braathens employees were laid off. Three hundred Braathens' employees were offered jobs with SAS Ground Services, but these lost their [[seniority]]. No employees in SAS lost their jobs.<ref>{{cite news |title=Knusende kritikk av LO |work=[[Dagens Næringsliv]] |last=Tranøy |first=Torstein |date=1 February 2002 |page=15 |language=no}}</ref> The issue ended in the courts, with the [[Supreme Court of Norway|Supreme Court]] reinstating seniority in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dn.no/forsiden/naringsliv/article706411.ece |title=Full seier for Braathens-ansatte |last=Fadnes |first=Ole-Morten |work=[[Dagens Næringsliv]] |date=31 January 2006 |access-date=22 September 2009 |language=no}}</ref> SAS announced on 10 March 2004 that SAS and Braathens would in May be merged into a single company, [[SAS Braathens]]. The company took over the operating licence of Braathens, including the [[IATA airline designators|IATA]] and [[ICAO airline code|ICAO]] code, and [[callsign]].<ref name=plukker>{{cite news |title=Lindegaard: – Vi plukker det beste fra SAS og Braathens |last=Lillesund |first=Geir |agency=[[Norwegian News Agency]] |date=10 March 2004 |page=24 |language=no}}</ref> From 1 June 2007, SAS Braathens was rebranded to Scandinavian Airlines, making it identical to the branding in Sweden and Denmark, although it remains a separate limited company named SAS Norge AS.<ref>{{cite news |title=SAS Braathens endrer navn til SAS Norge |agency=[[Norwegian News Agency]] |date=27 April 2007 |language=no}}</ref>