Scandinavian airline operator SAS AB says its losses narrowed in the first quarter but the volcanic ash cloud over Europe will negatively impact the second quarter by 460 million kronor ($64 million), according to AP. The airline Thursday reported a first-quarter loss of 712 million kronor ($99 million), compared with a loss of 748 million kronor in the same period a year ago. It said revenue fell by 16 percent to 9.5 billion kronor ($1.3 billion) from 11.3 billion kronor a year ago, mainly due to reduced capacity. SAS CEO Mats Jansson said the company will continue to implement its savings plan, despite the uncertainty of airspace closures due to the ash cloud. He said he is confident that SAS can «handle the negative effects in a tough 2010 and benefit from a potential recovery in the market.»
