In an extraordinary network development, SAS announced on December 21st that it'd be starting two brand-new US routes: Aalborg and Gothenburg to Newark. Obviously, it is the first time that the Danish city of Aalborg has a US service, while it returns to Sweden's Gothenburg after 24 years, when it was very time-limited.

Aalborg is Denmark's third-largest municipality but with fewer than a quarter of a million people, although it will effectively serve the whole of Jutland. Better-served Billund, Denmark's second-busiest airport, lost out to Aalborg. The new routes come at the expense of Copenhagen-Newark reducing in frequency, although offset by the coming Copenhagen-JFK. (Elsewhere, United launched Newark-Bergen in May this year, but it isn't returning next summer.)

Aalborg and Gothenburg to Newark

The two summer-seasonal routes start in late April, and each will run 3x weekly. They will, of course, be served by the A321LR, which has quickly become a vital aircraft for SAS across the North Atlantic. SAS's A321LRs have just 157 seats. They're relatively premium-heavy, which is needed for long-haul narrowbody service to offset higher seat-mile costs.

The schedule is as follows, with all times local:

  • Aalborg-Newark: SK921, 18:35-21:05, Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays
  • Gothenburg-Newark: SK917, 18:30-21:05, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays
  • Newark-Aalborg: SK922, 23:30-13:05+1, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays
  • Newark-Gothenburg: SK918, 23:30-13:15+1, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays

Notice the 21:05 arrival time in Newark, meaning extremely few onward connections across the US with Star Alliance member United. However, numerous services will feed the Europe-bound operations, with one-stops via Copenhagen and Stockholm helping to increase traffic.

As for the point-to-point market, booking data shows that Aalborg (and Billund) had about 18,000 roundtrip Newark/New York passengers between April-September 2019, or passengers daily each way (PDEW) of 118. For Gothenburg, about 28,000 (183).

Click here for Aalborg-Newark/JFK flights.

SAS's two new Newark routes
Image: GCMap.

One A321LR will be used

One A321LR will be deployed each week. Vital to this is that Copenhagen-Newark will see the narrowbody 1x weekly next summer. It means that the type will be rotated like this: Copenhagen-Newark-Gothenburg-Newark-Aalborg-Newark-Gothenburg-Newark-Aalborg-Newark-Gothenburg-Newark-Aalborg-Newark-Copenhagen.

Click here for Gothenburg-Newark/JFK flights.

SAS A321LR
Photo: Airbus.

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They're starting because of the A321LR

The two new routes represent creative, out-of-the-box network development enabled by the low-risk A321LR, especially compared to a widebody. Indeed, they'd not make sense with any widebody, showing how the type can create new opportunities and airport pairs. Nonetheless, it'll be especially interesting to see how Aalborg performs.

Writing about it on LinkedIn, Joseba Garay Martinez, SAS's Senior Network Manager for international markets, said,

"This is massive, not only because we are opening two new unserved long-haul routes, but because we are doing so from places that not that long ago could only see this as a dream. I personally see this as a proof of concept for the A321LR. This is what the aircraft is supposed to be designed for. We now embark in an inspiring project that will offer long haul direct connectivity to regional communities."

SAS Airbus A321LR
Photo: The Global Guy | Shutterstock.

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Now five Newark routes

As of December 22nd, SAS will serve Newark from Copenhagen (8x weekly, A350-900/A321LR), Oslo (1x daily, A330-300), Stockholm (1x daily, A330-300), Aalborg (3x weekly, A321LR), and Gothenburg (3x weekly, A321LR) next summer. However, it has reduced Copenhagen from the previously scheduled 13x weekly to accommodate the new services. On Wednesday, July 12th, for example, SAS's Newark departures are as follows:

  • 17:20: Stockholm
  • 17:35: Copenhagen
  • 18:55: Oslo
  • 23:30: Gothenburg

Click here for Newark/JFK-Stockholm flights.

What do you make of it all? Let us know in the comments.

  • SAS A350
    SAS
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    SK/SAS
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Copenhagen Airport, Oslo Gardermoen Airport, Stockholm Arlanda Airport
    Year Founded:
    1946
    Alliance:
    Star Alliance
    Airline Group:
    SAS Group
    CEO:
    Anko van der Werff