As part of Copenhagen Airport's Route Exchange membership, Routesonline takes a look at three significant routes to have been launched from Denmark's capital in recent years.
The flygskam – or flight-shaming – movement is materially impacting the public’s desire to travel and radiating across Europe from Scandinavia. Ahead of Routes Europe 2020 we speak to two of the key figures in the front-line of route development in the region.
This week: China Southern president departs; Small Planet Airlines ceases flying; SAS CEO warns of challenges ahead; Boeing delivers its 2,000th aircraft to China and more.
As SAS Scandinavian Airlines prepares to open a new international base at Aarhus Airport, Routesonline finds out more about the investment and why the Danish city is ready to capitalise on its time as European Capital of Culture.
Routesonline's latest analysis of the European aviation industry, examining the top routes, airlines, airports and aircraft that are leading the market.
The aircraft based in London and Spain will have the same customer offering and appearance as other airline operations at SAS and with corresponding requirements in terms of safety and standards. The airline says the aim is for the new operations to be up and running from winter 2017/2018, providing a smaller number of departures as a complement to SAS’s existing production.
Growing from a fortified Viking settlement originally founded in the eighth century, to a small market town seven centuries later, Aarhus is now at the cultural and economic core of the region and the largest centre for trade, services and industry in mainland Denmark. The ‘Nordic Tiger’ is clearly roaring onto the international stage as European Capital of Culture and its airport hopes to gain from the destination's rise with improved international air connectivity.
Focusing on direct routes to popular destinations, SAS’s 2016/2017 Winter Programme will open up 470,000 more seats to travellers in Scandinavia than last year, and will see an increase in flight frequency on selected domestic and European routes.
The air service development team at Dublin Airport have identified a number of unserved markets in Asia that can sustain regular scheduled flights to the Republic of Ireland’s capital city and are attending Routes Asia in Manila, Philippines to fill these network gaps. It particularly sees a notable role for Asia’s Star Alliance members at Dublin Airport having grown the number of airline members using the airport from this summer.
As part of its profitability strategy, SAS is turning to regional partners to more efficiently feed its hub airports through the operation of smaller capacity aircraft into lower demand markets. It already has arrangements in place with Cimber Air and Flybe using a mix of Bombardier CRJ900 jets and ATR turboprop equipment.
The airline will add two weekly rotations to the five times weekly Copenhagen – Shanghai route and a single additional flight on the six times weekly Stockholm – Chicago link from the end of October this year boosting its winter flight schedule between Scandinavia and the USA to 108 weekly departures and between Scandinavia and Asia to 50 weekly departures.
According to SAS, currently the fifth largest holder of slots at London Heathow, the transaction will generate positive earnings of $60 million. Following the closure of this deal, SAS will now hold 20 daily slots at London Heathrow which it uses to offer non-stop flights to Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Oslo, Stockholm and Stavanger.
This will mark the return of direct flights into Asia for the Scandinavian flag carrier from Sweden’s capital city. In the past ten years it has previously offered links from Stockholm to both Beijing and Bangkok, the latter on a seasonal winter basis, but these were both suspended from spring 2009.
Aviation History Month is still underway, and this week we’re looking at airlines from 1940 – 1960. Despite World War II ongoing during the first quarter of the period, aviation still saw a great deal of progression and many new airlines commenced operation.
