Austrian Airlines will increase its European connectivity next month by reopening its route between Vienna and Gothenburg. The carrier had directly served Sweden's second-largest airport before, but had temporarily halted the non-stop service amid the backdrop of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Back on the map

In just over six weeks, Gothenburg Landvetter Airport (GOT) will once again be a direct Austrian Airlines destination. After a hiatus of more than two years, service to Sweden's second-largest airport will recommence on March 27th. March 27th is a significant date, as it is the first day of the IATA summer schedule.

The flights will originate at Austrian Airlines' Vienna International Airport (VIE) hub. According to aviation24.be, they will run three times a week, with the days of operation being Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The Austrian flag carrier will deploy Embraer 195s on these flights, of which it flies 17, according to ch.aviation.com.

A quick look on Austrian's booking website shows that the restored flights will depart Vienna at 17:15 as OS325. After just under two hours on the move, arrival into Gothenburg is timed at 19:10. After a quick turnaround, the return flights will leave Sweden at 19:55, and touch back down in the Austrian capital at 21:50.

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The Embraer 195 has a seating capacity of 120 passengers. Photo: Austrian Airlines

Not the first restoration on this route

Austrian's return to Gothenburg marks the restoration of a route that it last operated more than two years ago. FlightRadar24.com appears to suggest that it did so on a seasonal basis in 2019, with the last rotation occurring on October 25th that year. By the time the 2020 summer season came around, COVID-19 had struck.

With air travel in Europe now opening up on an increasing basis, this is certainly a route that it makes sense for Austrian to restore. After all, anna.aero notes that around 25,000 people were flying between Vienna and Gothenburg before the pandemic, with the route suiting business and leisure travelers at both ends.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Austrian has restored service along its corridor. Indeed, it also announced in June 2017 that it had resumed direct flights to the city known as 'little London.' This followed a five-year hiatus, with the carrier having previously flown to Gothenburg using its Boeing 737s until 2012.

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A warm Swedish welcome will await Austrian Airlines' passengers in the harbor city. Photo: Jake Hardiman | Simple Flying

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A single non-stop competitor

The relaunch of Austrian's non-stop services between Vienna and Gothenburg will prevent Ryanair from holding a monopoly on this route. The Irish low-cost carrier is also set to start connecting the two cities on March 27th, operating the flights on a twice-weekly basis. Both destinations are focus cities for Ryanair.

Interestingly, Ryanair's Vienna-Gothenburg route also only operates seasonally. As such, passengers traveling between these cities during the winter season have to make their journeys indirectly. For example, for a journey tomorrow, Skyscanner suggests transiting in the likes of Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Munich, or Zürich.

What do you make of this service restoration? Did you ever fly on this route when it first operated? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!