The Finnish airline Blue1 has been a part of the SAS Group since 1998. The SAS Group started its airline operations in 1946 and is the largest public airline in Northern Europe with regard to flight operations and added service. The SAS Group includes SAS Scandinavian Airlines, SAS Individually Branded Airlines, and SAS Aviation Services.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden form the core of the SAS Group. SAS International manages long-haul routes. SAS Individually Branded Airlines are Blue1, Wideroe, Spanair, the partially owned airBaltic, and Estonian Air. SAS Aviation Services businesses include SAS Ground Services (SGS), SAS Technical Services (STS), and SAS Cargo.
In 2007, the SAS Group carried 31.2 million passengers to 152 destinations. The whole fleet includes 260 aircraft, and 25 516 people are employed by the SAS Group.