Scandinavian Airlines to Launch Nonstop Flights to Mumbai in 2026
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has announced its first scheduled route to India. Beginning June 2, 2026, the airline will operate five weekly nonstop flights between Copenhagen (CPH) and Mumbai (BOM).
This route will connect Northern Europe with Mumbai, one of India’s key commercial and aviation hubs. The move marks SAS’s entry into the Indian market and supports its plan to diversify beyond its core European and North American networks.
Connecting Copenhagen and Mumbai
Mumbai Airport handled over 51 million passengers in 2023, according to India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation. International travel to and from India has been steadily recovering, with traffic between Europe and India exceeding 7 million passengers in 2023. Passenger demand is projected to grow at a rate of 6–8% annually through 2030, driven by business, diaspora, and tourism-related travel.
Copenhagen Airport, SAS’s main hub, served over 22 million passengers in 2023 and is focusing on developing more intercontinental connections. The new route is expected to attract both point-to-point travellers and transit passengers heading to cities such as Stockholm, Oslo, and Helsinki.
Flight Schedule
The route will be operated with an Airbus A330-300.
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Outbound (SK969): Departs Copenhagen at 13:10 and arrives in Mumbai at 01:30 the next day (IST).
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Return (SK970): Departs Mumbai at 06:00 IST, arriving in Copenhagen at 11:45 local time.
Flights will run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Copenhagen, and Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Mumbai.
Growing India–Scandinavia Demand
Currently, nonstop connections between India and Scandinavia are limited, with most direct flights operating from Delhi. The Helsinki–Mumbai route, once served by Finnair, was suspended in 2023.
With Mumbai seeing growth in international services from carriers like Air India and IndiGo, SAS’s entry helps bridge a connectivity gap to Northern Europe.
Post-Restructuring Strategy
This expansion follows SAS’s 2024 financial restructuring and shift in alliance from Star Alliance to SkyTeam, accompanied by new investments from Air France-KLM and the Danish government.
India’s fast-growing aviation sector aligns with SAS’s strategy to increase long-haul services to high-potential regions. IATA projects India will become the third-largest aviation market by 2026. In 2023, more than 29 million Indians travelled internationally, with Europe being a significant destination.
The Scandinavian countries, including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, have seen an increasing interest from Indian travellers. Denmark reported a 31% rise in Indian visitors in 2024 compared to 2014.
Outlook
The Copenhagen–Mumbai route adds to SAS’s long-haul destinations in Asia, which currently include Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Beirut, and Tel Aviv. Mumbai will become the sixth in this list.
This route offers Indian travellers a direct link to Scandinavia and provides European passengers with easier access to western India. It also supports further network growth, with potential for future routes to cities like Delhi or Bangalore.
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