With much fanfare, a turret salute from SEA Airport firefighters and pastries galore, SAS Scandinavian Airlines has reopened its Copenhagen-Seattle route after 16 years using the Airbus A350.
SAS has a long history in Seattle, launching European routes in 1966, making it the first airline on the continent to provide direct service to the Pacific Northwest. The Port of Seattle had a publication called “The Reporter,” which had a three-page cover story about the new service in its October 1, 1966, issue.
The service operated from 1966 to 2009, but was discontinued due to a decline in passenger numbers due to the global economic downturn.
The return on May 21, 2025 was therefore a victory for the airline. The event was lively, like a true celebration.
Seattle is SAS’s 11th North American destination, further strengthening Copenhagen Airport’s role as a hub for transatlantic travel. The route will be operated using the Airbus A350. From CPH, SAS provides connections to 39 European cities, including Berlin, Zurich, Milan and Helsinki.
On my way out to the SEA ramp to take pictures of the first flight arrivals, I sat next to a SAS marketing representative in the van. About his inauguration departure, he joked that he rarely leaves on time because of the festivities. “Oh, that will do “Please leave on time.” With her Nordic solemnity, she reminded us that SAS consistently wins awards as an on-time airline.
So of course I looked it up. In 2025, SAS was ranked the most punctual airline in Europe and second in the world (Saudi Arabia was first) by Cirium aviation analysis, with an on-time rate of 91.92%.
Actually, I wasn’t able to take pictures of the landing because the inauguration ceremony was early, but I was able to soak in the water cannon salute near the gate to my heart’s content.
In SEA, winds blow from the southwest or north. On this particular day, the weather was out of the west, shooting water cannons at everyone on the ramp. Anyway, my camera needed a bath and it wasn’t too bad for the experience.
“Seattle is more than just a new destination for us; it is a return to our historic ties to Scandinavia and to a city of growing importance for business and tourism. We are proud to reopen this connection and offer our customers a broader range of services across the Atlantic,” said Anko van der Werff, SAS President and CEO.
The Seattle route is part of SAS’ broader network expansion, which also includes new destinations including Nuuk, Greenland, and Seoul, South Korea, both scheduled to launch in 2025.
The route operates five times a week all year round with SK937 for CPH-SEA and SK938 for SEA-CPH.
Nice to see another European airline in SEA. The new service will provide more options for travelers departing from the Pacific Northwest.
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