Scandinavian Airlines has announced a new prominence for Copenhagen Airport in its global network. Here’s what that means for frequent flyers in Norway.
The airplanes of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) are a familiar sight throughout Norway. Providing intercity services between the likes of Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, Tromsø, and Bodø, SAS planes are like the intercity coaches of the skies.
But international flights with SAS have always varied. With the recent investment from Air France-KLM and the switch from Star Alliance to SkyTeam, frequent flyers have been waiting to see how they would impact international flights.
Now, we know. SAS has announced its program for the summer of 2025, and its one that positions Copenhagen as its primary international hub. New services have included a relaunch of the much-missed Seattle to Scandinavia service.
Read on to discover the next stage in the new era of SAS and what that means for Norway.
Copenhagen Airport Hub
For decades, SAS has operated a three-hub model with the three Scandinavian capital cities—Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm—sharing status and long-haul departures.
While Copenhagen has become more prominent in recent years, the new announcement firms up that status. SAS revealed 15 new routes from Copenhagen, including a brand-new long-haul service to Seattle.
The new routes introduced in the summer schedule are Lyon, Madrid, Krakow, Valencia, Malta, Bucharest, Budapest, Milan Linate, Seville, Turku, Billund, Kristiansand, Harstad/Narvik and Bodø. More on those last three later.
The Copenhagen hub expansion includes not only new routes but an increase in the frequency of existing services to key European destinations like Stockholm, Oslo, Berlin, and Helsinki.
Seattle to Scandinavia
The exciting new route between Copenhagen and Seattle marks the airline's return to Seattle 57 years after its inaugural service, further expanding its North American network and bringing the total number of U.S. destinations to 11.
SAS CEO Anko van der Werff said the route will “strengthen the connection between Scandinavia and the Pacific Northwest, a region of growing economic importance with deep Scandinavian roots.”
Launching on 21 May, 2025, the new service will run five-times weekly. “Seattle has been a highly requested destination by our customers,” van der Werff said, adding that the city’s increasing cargo operations also factored into the decision.
Seattle, known for its Scandinavian heritage, has long-standing ties to the Nordic region, shaped by early immigrants who contributed to the city's culture and economy.
Changes for Air Travel in Norway
So, what do these announcements have to do with Norway?
On the downside, frequent SAS flyers may in the future need to connect through Copenhagen more often than Oslo.
But to compensate for this, SAS has launched new direct routes to Copenhagen from Bodø, Harstad/Narvik (Evenes), and Kristiansand, making things much easier for many people living in the north and south of Norway.
SAS is not abandoning Oslo as a long-haul hub completely, however. The airline has announced a new seasonal service from Oslo to New York JFK, although details remain scarce at present.
According to the airline, with up to 125 daily departures to over 60 destinations, Oslo will continue to play a key role in connecting Norway to the rest of Europe.
