SAS Cancels 280 More Copenhagen Flights Due to Strike

COPENHAGEN, Denmark_Scandinavian Airlines canceled more than 280 flights to and from Copenhagen on Wednesday because of a cabin crew strike that the company said left up to 20,000 passengers stranded.

The airline, also known as SAS, dropped nearly all services on Copenhagen routes as Danish flight attendants stayed off the job for a second day.

SAS called the strike "illegal" and said the Danish Cabin Attendants Union could face legal action if the crews do not return to work. The stoppage was costing the airline an estimated 20 million kroner (€2.7 million; US$3.7 million).

"Besides costing us a lot of money, the strike is also causing damage to our reputation," said SAS Denmark spokeswoman Anne Bove-Nielsen.

Hundreds of passengers were stranded overnight at the Copenhagen airport after Danish cabin crew walked off their jobs Tuesday afternoon because of a labor dispute over working conditions.

The flight cancellations affected European routes and a handful of flights to and from Newark and Beijing, SAS said.

Leaders of the Danish Cabin Attendants Union and management representatives met Wednesday, but there was no sign of an agreement to end the strike. Union chairman Verner Lundtoft Jensen did not return repeated calls seeking comment.

Scandinavian Airlines is the joint flag carrier of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Flights operated by Norwegian or Swedish cabin crew were not affected by the strike.

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