SAS Charts Future of Digital Aviation with Starlink, Embedded Streaming, and Ad Tech Strategy
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Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) unveiled a bold digital transformation strategy during Tuesday’s keynote at APEX TECH 2025, highlighting its full-fleet Starlink rollout, the upcoming launch of embedded streaming, and a major new advertising platform initiative.
SAS Head of Product and Digital Development Aron Backström laid out a vision built on free connectivity, seamless personalization, and expanded revenue generation through targeted advertising. Moderated by APEX Group CEO Dr. Joe Leader, the conversation focused on how real-time data and AI will reshape the passenger journey from check-in to arrival.
“This is not about providing access to the internet,” Backström said. “It’s about giving a proactive and personal touch to keeping our customers informed and entertained at every step of the journey.”
The session previewed a significant shift in how airlines deliver value to both passengers and partners. It also set the stage for deeper exploration at APEX FTE EMEA / Ancillary in Dublin, where SAS will continue the conversation around ancillary revenue strategies and digital commerce.
Fleetwide Starlink Rollout Moves Toward 2026 Completion
SAS will retrofit its entire fleet with Starlink’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity by 2027. Backström explained that the decision followed a rigorous RFP process that evaluated every major connectivity provider. SAS ultimately selected Starlink based on technical performance, lightweight hardware, fast install time, and reliability in northern latitudes.
“We fly at the extreme north of the world,” he said. “LEO works really well for us. The antenna is lightweight, simple, and requires little maintenance. Starlink has proven reliability, global scale, and most importantly, satisfied aviation customers already flying with the system.”
SAS aims to equip 90 percent of its fleet by the end of 2026, with the first installations expected in January 2026 or earlier. The program prioritizes aircraft without in-flight Wi-Fi and includes early upgrades to the airline’s A330 widebody aircraft, which currently use legacy connectivity solutions.
Dr. Joe Leader, moderating the session, remarked, “When you offer free connectivity, that’s a major Net Promoter Score boost. We’ve already seen it happen across multiple airlines in APEX’s global dataset.”
Backström agreed, noting that the primary metric for success will be guest satisfaction, not monetization. “You’re never going to cover the cost of installation with advertising or ancillary sales alone,” he said. “If you don’t believe in a significant NPS improvement, you shouldn’t invest in this.”
App-Driven Streaming to Follow Connectivity Rollout
With the bandwidth gains Starlink offers, SAS plans to evolve its inflight entertainment (IFE) strategy by introducing embedded streaming through the SAS mobile app. While the carrier will not launch streaming as part of its minimum viable product in 2025, Backström confirmed it will follow shortly after the core connectivity rollout.
“We are primarily a short-haul carrier, with an average flight time of about 90 minutes,” he said. “That doesn’t suit traditional seatback systems. Our focus is bringing interactive and streaming content into the app and portal environment, where it’s more accessible and more flexible.”
He described the SAS mobile app as one of the strongest in the airline industry and emphasized its importance as the central digital touchpoint for both pre-flight and inflight services.
“Streaming in the app gives us a way to boost app usage, enhance loyalty engagement, and open the door to personalization,” Backström said.
Dynamic Retail and Advertising Platform RFP Announced at APEX TECH
One of the session’s biggest announcements came when Backström revealed that SAS will launch a request for proposals(RFP) within days for a new advertising and sales platform. The platform will manage external and internal media inventory, enabling personalized ads and promotions across all SAS digital assets, including inflight screens, emails, launch pages, and its mobile app.
“We’re launching an RFP this week or next for a supplier-side platform,” Backström said. “It will help us house all our advertising and messaging assets, not just onboard but across our entire digital ecosystem.”
The platform will support external advertising campaigns and SAS internal initiatives such as loyalty promotions and product offers. SAS also plans to use the system to deliver time-sensitive inflight retail messaging based on remaining inventory, such as last-minute discounts on unsold food and beverage items.
Backström added, “We want to market our own services through the same system. So when I want to promote SAS upgrades or EuroBonus campaigns, I’ll use this platform to target the right customers.”
This announcement reinforced one of the primary themes leading into APEX FTE EMEA / Ancillary in Dublin, where SAS and other leading airlines will explore how modern connectivity enables dynamic ancillary revenue strategies.
Connectivity Unlocks Real-Time Personalization at Scale
SAS uses full-fleet connectivity to turn flight time into an extension of the traveler’s life on the ground. Backström described plans to integrate the SAS app and IFE with EuroBonus loyalty features, predictive trip planning, and in-seat retail options based on real-time data.
“We know where you’re going, and we often know which hotel you’re staying at,” he said. “We can help you plan the most efficient route to your destination, suggest activities other travelers liked, and sell you tickets or services directly.”
Backström emphasized Scandinavians’ reluctance to use call buttons or initiate retail purchases. The airline aims to increase inflight conversion through quiet, personalized offers in the app.
“With app-based ordering, we can track onboard inventory and even offer last-minute discounts,” he said. “It also helps reduce waste.”
The connected experience also allows SAS to recognize and personally serve loyal customers. “We’re working on ways to scale the kind of service our top-tier members already receive. We want more guests to feel seen, not just served,” Backström said.
AI Enhancing Loyalty and Retail Outcomes
SAS continues developing AI use cases in personalization, ancillary optimization, and spend-based loyalty offers. One pilot project uses open banking data, with guest consent, to analyze spending habits and recommend EuroBonus partners or cards that best fit the traveler’s lifestyle.
“We built a test case where we ask members for access to their spend data,” Backström said. “Then we show them how to earn more points based on what they already do. If you dine out often, we recommend a credit card that maximizes your earning.”
SAS uses machine learning models to score each guest’s likely interest in specific ancillary products based on booking behavior, demographics, and historical patterns. This helps deliver the right offer at the right time via the app or email.
According to Backström, this move from isolated AI projects to a structured program marks a shift in how SAS applies data intelligence. “We’re identifying five key areas where AI will make the biggest difference, and we’re dedicating serious resources to each,” he said.
Starlink Strength at Arctic Latitudes Confirmed
Ralph Wagner, CEO of Axinom, asked why SAS chose to adopt Starlink, given that the satellites typically orbit below Copenhagen’s latitude. Backström explained, “Sarlink works really well, and they have dedicated satellites for the North Pole.”
Given SAS’s northern operating footprint, satellite performance in polar regions was a key concern during the RFP. Backström confirmed that Starlink had delivered in full.
“We’re flying where few others go, but Starlink has dedicated satellites for polar coverage,” he said. “We watched a Qatar Airways flight cross the Arctic with 170 Mbps. That’s more than enough.”
Dr. Leader noted that SAS’s unique geography adds complexity and underscores the need for consistency. “It’s reassuring to see Starlink performing where legacy networks often struggle,” he said.
Looking Five Years Ahead: Loyalty at Scale
In closing, Backström outlined a long-term vision for SAS, anchored by personalization and a human touch powered by technology. He cited the airline’s top-tier EuroBonus members as the model for how data, empathy, and service can converge.
“These members don’t stay because of lounges or points,” he said. “They stay because they feel seen. They know our crews, and our crews know them.”
He said the ultimate goal is to bring that level of personal recognition to a much broader customer base through real-time connectivity and scaled AI.
“If we can use connectivity and big data to give that personal feeling to more than a few hundred members, then we’re onto something really big,” SAS Head of Product and Digital Development Aron Backström said.