Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) announced on Monday its much-awaited return to India, confirming that direct, non-stop flights between Mumbai and Copenhagen will begin on October 3. The inaugural Copenhagen-Mumbai flight is scheduled to depart on October 1, marking a significant milestone for the airline’s renewed presence in the Indian aviation market.
This launch represents SAS’s return to India after a 17-year absence from the route. The airline had originally attempted to resume India flights on June 4 this year, but that inaugural attempt did not go as planned.
About four hours after departing Copenhagen, the Airbus A330 aircraft operating flight SK 969 was flying over Azerbaijan when it was forced to turn back and divert to Copenhagen. The diversion occurred because final regulatory clearance for the route had not yet been secured at the time of departure.
Following the incident, SAS cancelled its planned Mumbai flights altogether. The airline offered affected passengers the choice of a full refund or rebooking onto alternative flight options, as it worked to resolve the outstanding regulatory issues before attempting the launch again.
Under the newly confirmed schedule, SAS will operate the Copenhagen-Mumbai route five times a week. This frequency is expected to provide travellers with a reliable, regular non-stop option between the two cities, restoring direct connectivity after nearly two decades.
The new service will also offer onward connections to several major international destinations, including New York, Boston and Toronto. This added connectivity is expected to strengthen Mumbai’s role as a gateway for travellers seeking convenient access to key markets across North America via Copenhagen.