A flurry of new transatlantic routes connecting Europe and North America are starting over the coming weeks, launched by the likes of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Air France, Lufthansa and Condor.
One of the more eye-catching routes is being opened by SAS, linking Denmark’s capital Copenhagen to Atlanta. The U.S. city 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.
Flights will begin on June 17, operating daily during the summer months using Airbus A330-300 aircraft, reducing to 5X-weekly in winter onboard A350-900s. The service to Atlanta—a hub for SkyTeam’s Delta Air Lines—comes as SAS prepares to leave Star Alliance to join SkyTeam.
Air France will expand its transatlantic network by opening a link between Paris and Phoenix in May, marking the first nonstop flights between France and the U.S. city. Service will begin on May 23, operating three times per week during the summer season using Boeing 787-9s.
The French capital becomes the third European destination to be served nonstop from Phoenix, along with Frankfurt Airport and London Heathrow Airport. It is estimated that the new route will provide a $30 million annual economic boost to the Arizona city.
German carriers Lufthansa and Condor will also add new U.S. points from Frankfurt in the coming weeks, with Lufthansa adding nonstops to Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP) and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, and Condor launching operations to San Antonio. The latter will see a 3X-weekly seasonal service using an A330-900neos, becoming the Texan city’s only transatlantic route.
Delta Air Lines will also launch flights from MSP to Dublin, rivalling Aer Lingus on the sector, as well as opening service between New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Naples, Italy.
Fellow U.S. carrier American Airlines is entering the Naples market, too, with a route from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) starting on June 5. European service from PHL to Nice, France, also begins on May 6 and to Copenhagen on June 6.
Elsewhere, JetBlue is continuing its transatlantic expansion with seasonal flights from New York JFK to Edinburgh Airport, Scotland, while Norse Atlantic Airways plans to commence a Paris Charles de Gaulle-Los Angeles route in May and launch operations from Greece’s capital Athens to JFK. United Airlines is also adding flights to Athens from Chicago O’Hare.
Other notable new route starting to/from Europe include Air Canada’s seasonal operations to Stockholm Arlanda Airport from Montreal and Toronto Pearson, and WestJet’s St Johns-London Gatwick and Halifax Stanfield-Edinburgh routes.
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