This article is published in Air Transport World, part of Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN), and is complimentary through May 15, 2024. For information on becoming an AWIN Member to access more content like this, click here.
China Eastern Airlines will become the first Chinese carrier to offer regular scheduled service to Saudi Arabia when it connects Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport beginning in April.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines plans to launch daily summer flights from Copenhagen to Atlanta as part of its network realignment ahead of switching alliances. China Eastern Airlines will establish the first regular scheduled service from Shanghai to Riyadh, while Air France is introducing nonstop flights between Paris and Phoenix, becoming the only service between France and the US city.
COPENHAGEN-ATLANTA
Star Alliance member SAS Scandinavian Airlines plans to open a new transatlantic route from Denmark’s capital Copenhagen to Atlanta, a key hub for rival alliance SkyTeam.
From June 17, the carrier will introduce flights between Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL), operating daily during the summer months using Airbus A330-300s. Frequencies will reduce to 5X-weekly during the winter season onboard A350-900s.
Atlanta, a primary hub for Delta Air Lines, will become the ninth destination served by SAS in North America, alongside flights to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington.
The move is a first step by the Scandinavian carrier to realign its network ahead of switching airline alliances. SAS filed for US Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2022 as part of its ongoing SAS Forward restructuring plan, which runs to 2026.
In October 2023, it was confirmed that a consortium, made up of Air France-KLM and investment firms Castlelake and Lind Invest, had been selected as the winning bidder in SAS’s exit financing solicitation process. Following completion of this deal, SAS will leave Star Alliance, a group that it co-founded in 1997, and move to SkyTeam.
The market between Copenhagen and Atlanta is unserved nonstop at present, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data. Delta has connected the cities in the past, providing scheduled service for five years from May 2006. However, US Transportation Department data shows the city pair has been unserved since August 2011.
In addition to the new Atlanta route, SAS plans to increase frequencies from CPH to Boston Logan (BOS), New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Toronto Pearson (YYZ) this summer.
SHANGHAI-RIYADH
China Eastern Airlines is set to become the first Chinese carrier to launch regular scheduled service to Saudi Arabia as diplomatic and economic ties between the two nations continue to strengthen.
The SkyTeam alliance member—alongside Chinese counterparts Air China, China Southern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines—has previously offered nonstop flights to points in the Middle East country. However, these have been limited-time services specifically designed to accommodate religious traffic during the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The carrier’s first regular scheduled route will commence on April 8, connecting its Shanghai Pudong (PVG) hub and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH). The 4,509-mi. (3,918-nm) sector will be served three times per week using A330-200s.
The planned launch comes just eight days before China Southern also starts operating to the kingdom. The Guangzhou-based airline plans to introduce service linking Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) and RUH, flying twice a week with A330-300s.
According to data from OAG, Saudia is the only airline currently offering nonstop flights between Saudi Arabia and China, with a total of four routes. The carrier operates longstanding flights to Guangzhou (CAN) from Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz (JED) and RUH, flying 2X-weekly and 3X-weekly, respectively. In addition, Saudia has recently introduced two new services from JED and RUH to PKX.
Prior to the pandemic, O&D traffic between Saudi Arabia and mainland China totaled some 300,000 two-way passengers in 2019, Sabre Market Intelligence data shows, representing an increase of 19% on the previous 12 months. The increased air service between mainland China and Saudi Arabia comes amid strengthening diplomatic and economic ties. Trade between the two countries was worth more than $106 billion in 2022, according to Saudi government figures, helped by Chinese imports of oil. Inward investment is also flowing into Saudi Arabia from Chinese companies as the Middle Eastern country seeks to diversify its economy away from oil as part of its Vision 2030 strategy.
PARIS-PHOENIX
Air France is launching service between Paris and Phoenix in May, marking the first nonstop flights between France and the US city.
The French capital becomes the third European destination to be served nonstop from Phoenix, along with Frankfurt (FRA) and London Heathrow (LHR). It is estimated that the new route will provide a $30 million annual economic boost to the Arizona city.
Flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) will begin on May 23, operating three times per week during the summer season on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. A three-class Boeing 787-9 will be deployed on the 5,468-mi. (4,752-nm) sector.
Phoenix currently has two nonstop connections to Europe, with oneworld alliance partners American Airlines and British Airways each serving LHR daily using 777-200s and A350-1000s, respectively. From May 18, German leisure carrier Condor will also resume 3X-weekly seasonal flights from FRA onboard A330-900neos.
For Air France, Phoenix will become the 17th US city in the airline’s network served nonstop from CDG, compared with 14 during the summer 2023 season. Alongside the addition of PHX, the carrier plans to offer its recently launched Raleigh-Durham route year-round and return to Minneapolis-St. Paul in May, having suspended flights in September 2022.
Related Content
