Scandinavian Airlines (SK), better known as SAS, entered 2026 in a significantly different position from the airline Anko van der Werff inherited in 2021. The carrier has completed its major restructuring, strengthened its financial position, joined SkyTeam, and continued rebuilding its international network. SAS carried 28.3 million passengers in fiscal 2025 and generated SEK 49.1 billion in revenue, while adjusted EBITDA before items affecting comparability reached SEK 7.0 billion.
Van der Werff has remained at the centre of that transformation. However, 2026 is also set to be his final year as SAS CEO. In July 2026, SAS confirmed that he will leave the company at the beginning of 2027 to become CEO of Air Canada, while remaining in charge of SAS until his departure.
So, what does SAS CEO Anko van der Werff earn in 2026? SAS does not disclose a separate individual 2025 compensation figure for him in its latest annual report, meaning the 2026 figure has to be estimated from his most recently disclosed individual salary and benefits.
Who is SAS CEO Anko van der Werff?
Anko van der Werff is a Dutch aviation executive who became President and CEO of SAS in July 2021. He joined the Scandinavian carrier at one of the most difficult points in its modern history, as SAS dealt with heavy financial pressure, restructuring and the Chapter 11 process in the United States.
Before joining SAS, van der Werff served as CEO of Avianca from 2019 to 2021. He also held senior commercial and management positions at Aeromexico, Qatar Airways and Air France-KLM. He has a law degree from Leiden University and completed an executive programme at Harvard Business School.
During his time at SAS, his responsibilities have included overseeing the restructuring of the airline, its post-restructuring growth, the move into SkyTeam, network expansion and fleet renewal. SAS has also increased its long-haul ambitions, including the launch of its Copenhagen-Mumbai service in 2026 and a major new Airbus order.
SAS CEO Anko van der Werff Salary & Compensation in 2026
The best available individual benchmark for van der Werff remains his FY2024 compensation. SAS reported fixed salary of SEK 12.675 million, other benefits of SEK 171,000, and pension of SEK 4.715 million for the CEO. That produced total reported remuneration of approximately SEK 17.56 million for the year.
SAS’s FY2025 annual report, published in 2026, no longer provides a separate individual remuneration table for the CEO. Instead, it reports combined remuneration for the CEO, Board and other senior executives. For FY2025, that group received SEK 44 million in fixed salary, SEK 18 million in variable remuneration, SEK 1 million in other benefits and SEK 14 million in pension costs. The report also notes that the variable remuneration figure includes SEK 4 million in share-based payments.
Based on the latest individual disclosure and the absence of a separately reported 2025 salary figure, van der Werff’s 2026 fixed salary can reasonably be estimated at around SEK 12.7 million per year, or roughly US$1.3 million. His overall 2026 remuneration, including pension, benefits and any applicable variable compensation, can be estimated at around SEK 17.5 million to SEK 20 million, equivalent to roughly US$1.8 million to US$2.1 million.
These 2026 figures are estimates rather than confirmed individual payments. The important distinction is that the SEK 17.56 million figure is the last clearly disclosed individual total, while SAS’s FY2025 report only provides combined figures for the wider senior management group.
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Peer Comparison: SAS vs Finnair and Norwegian Air Shuttle
SAS operates in the same broad Northern European market as Finnair and Norwegian Air Shuttle, making those two airlines useful reference points for executive compensation.
At Finnair, CEO Turkka Kuusisto received total remuneration of €1.214 million in 2025. His package included €689,607 in base salary, €83,916 in variable pay and a €390,486 discretionary one-time bonus. Finnair’s 2026 remuneration framework sets the CEO’s monthly base salary at €62,220, with a target short-term incentive of 40% and a maximum of 80% of annual base salary, subject to the company’s overall variable-pay rules.
Norwegian Air Shuttle has a different remuneration model, with a greater role for performance incentives and share options. CEO Geir Karlsen received NOK 9.61 million in total remuneration in 2024, including NOK 5.941 million in base salary, NOK 3.401 million in variable remuneration, NOK 160,000 in benefits and NOK 108,000 in pension expense. Norwegian also granted Karlsen additional share options in 2025.
The comparison shows that the three airlines use different approaches to executive pay. SAS has historically placed substantial weight on fixed salary and pension, while Finnair and Norwegian make more visible use of performance-related and share-based compensation.
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SAS Strategic Focus For 2026
SAS entered 2026 after a strong improvement in its underlying financial performance. For FY2025, revenue increased to SEK 49.106 billion from SEK 45.883 billion, while adjusted EBITDA before items affecting comparability increased to SEK 7.035 billion from SEK 4.157 billion. Passenger numbers also rose 12% to 28.3 million.
International growth has become an important part of the next phase. SAS returned to India with its Copenhagen-Mumbai route in June 2026, operating five weekly Airbus A330 flights. The airline has also continued expanding its intercontinental network and strengthening Copenhagen as its principal international hub.
Fleet renewal is another major priority. In June 2026, SAS placed a firm order for 18 Airbus A330-900 aircraft, supporting both fleet modernisation and international network expansion. The order forms part of a much larger fleet investment programme announced during the airline’s transformation.
SAS is also deepening its cooperation with SkyTeam following its move into the alliance. The airline has highlighted broader international connectivity, closer cooperation with partners and continued improvement in operational reliability as central elements of its strategy.
Van der Werff’s departure adds another important element to the 2026 picture. SAS announced in July that he would leave at the beginning of 2027 to become CEO of Air Canada. Until then, he is expected to remain responsible for executing SAS’s existing strategy and ensuring a smooth leadership transition.
Bottom Line
SAS CEO Anko van der Werff’s estimated salary in 2026 is around SEK 12.7 million per year, or approximately US$1.3 million, based on his latest individually disclosed fixed salary.
When pension, benefits and potential variable compensation are considered, his estimated total 2026 compensation is around SEK 17.5 million to SEK 20 million, or roughly US$1.8 million to US$2.1 million. The exact 2026 figure has not been publicly disclosed, so this should be treated as an estimate rather than a confirmed annual package.
Van der Werff’s final year at SAS comes as the airline moves from restructuring into a new growth phase, with international expansion, SkyTeam cooperation and fleet renewal shaping its priorities. He is expected to remain CEO until the beginning of 2027 before moving to Air Canada.
SAS CEO Salary FAQs
His 2026 fixed salary is estimated at around SEK 12.7 million per year, based on his latest individually disclosed salary.
His latest individually reported total remuneration was approximately SEK 17.56 million. For 2026, total compensation is estimated at around SEK 17.5 million to SEK 20 million, including pension, benefits and potential variable pay.
Yes. Van der Werff remains President and CEO of SAS during 2026. SAS announced that he will leave the company at the beginning of 2027 to become CEO of Air Canada.
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