The exact number of pilots who will be fired are 91 in SAS Commuter. We hope to save some of these in 50%-positions by LOA and reduced duty among the rest of the pilots, but with only about 300 pilots remaining, it will be difficult to save all. In SAS the number is 160 pilots, and they are working 50%, while the remaining 80 positions are handled by LOA and reduced duty among the rest. The main reason for this is the economic difficulties of the airline, SAS is operating with big losses, and needs restructuring to cut costs.
However, we also suffer from the fact that the SAS Group has ownership in a myriad of different airlines, and are starting (or rather, continuing) to reduce SAS production in favour of these. Examples are Spain-Scandinavia (Spanair), Copenhagen-Sweden (Skyways), Sweden-Finland (Air Botnia), northern Norway (Braathens and Widerøe). In northern Norway this has actually resulted in the closing of the SAS Commuter base in Tromsø, which will cease operations in April next year. This happens while we see that the other airlines within the SAS Group increase their production!
SAS and SAS Commuter pilots are now learning why you need scope clauses. And we are learning it the hard way.