Scandinavian Airlines, or SAS, marks 70 years of flying over the North Pole to the United States ( SAS operates multiple routes from Scandinavian countries to the United States). Separately, early in 2024 it was reported that SAS was planning a major expansion in Europe with nine new destinations while it flights its flagship, the Airbus A350, on long-haul destinations to the United States and Asia.
✕ Remove Ads SAS commemorates flying over the North Pole
SAS made aviation history on November 15, 1954, when it became the world's first airline to operate a commercial flight over the North Pole. It pioneered flights from Denmark's Copenhagen to Los Angeles and "established the most efficient link between Europe and the USA."
Photo: SAS
"To honor this history, today's Copenhagen-Los Angeles flight at 13.20 will offer passengers special touches that commemorate the 1954 journey, taking them back to the origins of SAS's Polar Route." - SAS
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SAS states that by flying over the North Pole, the airline reduced the travel distance by "thousands of kilometers" enabling considerable fuel savings. It says, "By operating flights over the Polar Regions, SAS transformed how North America connects to Scandinavia, to Europe, and beyond, with Copenhagen emerging as a key hub."
"SAS's introduction of the Polar Route marked a landmark moment in global travel, enhancing economic ties, tourism, and cultural exchange by making the world more accessible. This legacy endures as SAS continues to drive innovation and connect people worldwide, with Copenhagen still at the heart of our global network" - SAS President and CEO Anko van der Werff.
Photo: SAS Planning for forced landings in the Arctic
Developing the route was a logistical challenge taking "four years of hard work and inventive minds to figure out how to successfully operate the flights."
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Scandanvian Airlines / SAS
Funded:
1 August 1946
Main hubs:
Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm-Arlanda
Aircraft flown:
Airbus A319s, A320s, A320neos, A321LRs, A330s, A350s, and Embraer 195s
Destinations:
125+
Fleet size:
Approx. 133
Alliance:
SkyTeam (previously Star Alliance)
One of the top issues was making the route safe (safety was a leading priority). Making a forced landing in the Arctic would have been a survival challenge until rescue. Back then, the airline provided passengers with snowsuits, and there was even a manual onboard the flight on how to survive in the Arctic.
Related 5 Things The FAA Requires Airlines To Consider When Preparing & Conducting Polar Operations
Polar routes are challenging, risky, and expensive to operate.
1 SAS flights to Tokyo via North Pole
Three years later, in 1957, SAS opened another route across the North Pole to Japan. The first flight on this route was operated by a Douglas DC-7C (registered LN-MOD) named "Guttorm Viking." It departed Copenhagen at 11:35 UTC bound for Tokyo via Anchorage.
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At the same time, another of the airline's DC-7Cs (registered LN-MOE), "Reidar Viking," departed Tokyo bound for Copenhagen with 45 passengers on board (including the Prince and Princess Mikasa of Japan). These two DC-7Cs convened over the North Pole at 21:35 UTC. SAS regular flights to Toyko returned in 2023 following the pandemic with the Airbus A350-900.
Still flying over the North Pole
SAS continues to operate flights between Copenhagen Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Today, the route is served by a new Airbus A350 (now the Airbus flagship). It departs Copenhagen Airport at 15:45 local time and arrives at LAX at 18:00 local time, with a scheduled flight time of 11 hours and 15 minutes. Flying in the other direction, the flight departs LAX at 20:05 local time and arrives in Copenhagen at 15:45 local time after a scheduled 10-hour and 40-minute flight.
Photo: SAS ✕ Remove Ads
Example modern flights over North Pole:
Copenhagen (CPH) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) by SAS with Airbus A350 Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) by Emirates with Airbus A380 Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) by Air India with Boeing 777 Hamad International Airport (DOH) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) by Qatar Airways with Boeing 777 Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
There are various potential routes where the North Pole is the most direct route (for example, a direct flight from New York City (JFK) to Tokyo (NRT). Plenty of airlines fly over the North Pole and the massive improvements to aircraft since the 1950s mean passengers don't need to be briefed on Arctic survival.
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However, since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and the closure of Russian airspace to Western airlines, some routes (and the closure of Western airspace to Russian flights) have meant that some routes over the North Pole have gotten more challenging.
Related Finnair Brings Back North Pole Flight Certificates After 40 Years
Now passengers can commemorate the special flight path.
SAS - the Scandinavian flag carrier
SAS is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (and is legally called Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark-Norway-Sweden). The airline operates a fleet of around 133 aircraft to over 125 destinations - including designations in North America. It is the largest airline in Denmark and Sweden and operates a fleet of Airbus A319s, A320s, A320neos, A321LRs, A330s, A350s, and Embraer 195s (in addition to wet-leased aircraft types).
"SAS is Scandinavia's leading airline, with main hubs in Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. 23.7 million passengers traveled with SAS in FY23 to our +125 destinations in Europe, the US, Africa and Asia." - SAS
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SAS's main hub is Copenhagen Airport, but it also has two other major hubs at Stockholm Arlanda Airport and Oslo Airport. The airline aims to be a "driving force in sustainable aviation and in the transition toward net-zero emissions." It says it is continually investing in using more sustainable aviation fuel while investing in new fuel-efficient aircraft and other innovative technology.
SAS IATA/ICAO Code SK/SAS Airline Type Full Service Carrier Hub(s) Copenhagen Airport , Oslo Gardermoen Airport , Stockholm Arlanda Airport Year Founded 1946 CEO Anko van der Werff