SAS pilots reach deal with union, end strike

STOCKHOLM – SAS pilots in Sweden have called off a strike that the Scandinavian carrier says resulted in 1,000 canceled flights, affecting 100,000 passengers.

Both the airline and the Swedish pilots union announced Tuesday that they had agreed on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement.

The pilots went on strike last Friday, demanding higher salaries. Swedish Radio reported the deal gives the pilots a 2.2 percent salary increase.

SAS chief executive Rickard Gustafson said "we are relieved the strike is called off and that our customers can take their flights as planned."

Peter Larsson, chairman of the SAS section of the Swedish pilots union, said "our passengers have been hit hard and we deeply regret that."

The Stockholm-based airline is partly owned by the governments of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.