Sterling Airlines, a low-cost carrier based in Denmark is launching a bold new retail strategy with a new director of in-flight services at the helm. The airline’s chief commercial officer Michael Hansen recently outlined the strategy in an interview with DFNIonline.
Veteran airline executive Lars Hjartbo is the newest addition to he Sterling Airlines executive team and the airline has high hopes for him. Hjartbo will be reviewing the in-flight retail program with a view to radically overhaul how Sterling does business in the air.
Hansen said: “I look forward to Lars joining and working with him to improve our product on board and take retail to the next level.”
According to Hansen, airlines need to find new ways of bringing in revenue, particularly in light of falling fares. With regards to the airline’s retail potential he said: “We have not been very aggressive in the past, but now we will try to bring some innovation to in-flight retail. Lars is joining us and we have changed our supplier to In-flight Service, these are the first steps. Once Lars arrives we will look at a more detailed retail strategy.
“We’re pretty good on retail but we want to take it to a new level. We have a lot going for us as an airline; for example we have passengers in their seats for an average of two and a half hours. We want to turn in-flight retail upside down.”