He will remain working at SAS - which is controlled by Air France-KLM - until he resigns.
"The board will now initiate a process to appoint his successor," SAS writes in a press release.
Dutchman Anko van der Werff took over as SAS CEO in 2021, and the airline has undergone a major transformation since then, including new owners.
"It has not been an easy decision. I have valued my time at SAS," says Anko van der Werff in the press release.
SAS Board Chairman Kåre Schultz thanks him for "his strong leadership" during a challenging time for the company.
"He has played a central role in building a stronger and more competitive SAS, with a clear direction and important opportunities ahead," Schultz said in the press release.
KLM increases ownership
The announcement of the departure comes after SAS announced last week that it is investing almost 100 billion kronor in purchasing 39 Airbus aircraft.
SAS - founded by Sweden, Norway and Denmark 80 years ago - has been controlled by the French-Dutch airline group Air France-KLM since 2024.
Air France-KLM has applied to increase its ownership from 19.5 to 60.5 percent. The Danish state remains a minority owner with approximately 26 percent of the shares, while the Swedish and Norwegian states have stepped down as owners.
Major transformation in progress
Anko van der Werff has had a difficult job managing a company in major crisis, says Jan Ohlsson, aviation analyst.
He has quietly and without much fuss steered SAS's transformation through, he tells TT, but also points out that van der Werff is leaving the company at a strategic time.
If something goes wrong in the future, it's not his fault, says Jan Ohlsson.
Corrected: An earlier version of the text contained incorrect information about current ownership in SAS.
