Scandinavian Airlines System aircraft. Photo: SAS SAS, the leading Scandinavian airline, returns to Israel.
In the coming days, several airlines will resume their routes to Israel, including British Airways, Eurowings, Iberia Express, and others. These airlines, familiar to the Israeli market prior to the war, attempted to return during it, but to no avail.
Among these returning airlines, one name stands out: Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), the leading and largest airline in Scandinavia. The airline will launch a direct route from Copenhagen to Tel Aviv, initially operating two weekly flights. During the upcoming summer season, they plan to increase frequency to up to four weekly flights.
Photo: SASThe Scandinavian airline, founded in 1946, is a collaboration of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden to connect Scandinavia with the world.
In the 1950s, SAS was among the first to fly over the North Pole to America, significantly reducing flight times between Europe and America. Over time, the airline expanded, becoming a symbol of reliability in European aviation, currently flying to around 125 destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. In 2023, SAS transported 23.7 million passengers.
Economy Class. Photo: SAS
Business Class of the A350. Photo: SASThe airline's hubs are at Copenhagen (CPH), Stockholm-Arlanda (ARN), and Oslo (OSL), cities that reflect the cooperative origins of SAS. Copenhagen is set to become an aviation hub, aligning with the "We Sre Scandinavia" initiative to position the airline as the gateway to Scandinavia.
Today, the airline boasts a modern fleet primarily composed of A320 and A330 family aircraft, and recently added the flagship Airbus A350 for long-haul routes. To Israel, they will operate the new A320neo, known for its fuel efficiency, in a two-class configuration, business and economy.
As part of its green commitment, SAS has invested heavily in fleet renewal and emissions reduction, aiming to be one of the most eco-friendly airlines globally. The new aircraft are equipped with fuel-saving technologies, fast Wi-Fi connectivity, and clean Scandinavian-style interiors.
Although SAS was a founding member of Star Alliance, it has recently partnered with Air France-KLM, joining the SkyTeam airline alliance.
Photo: Air France-KLMIn recent years, SAS has closely cooperated with Air France-KLM, which last summer became its majority owner, holding 60.5%. Air France codes have been added to many SAS routes, especially those to the United States.
For Israeli travelers, SAS's entry offers another transatlantic option with connections via Copenhagen, providing another gateway to Europe as international travel to and from Israel hopefully returns to better times than the past two years.