05.11.2007
Destination: “The Singapore of the Middle East”

Wednesday, 31 October marked the first non-stop flight from Copenhagen to Dubai. SAS welcomed passengers on the first flight between Copenhagen and Dubai with champagne, Arab-inspired snacks and live music.

Among the first passengers on the new non-stop SAS route was Kasper Larsen who operates companies in both Dubai and Denmark, and who therefore frequently visits Copenhagen Airport:

“I travel between Denmark and Dubai about twice a month, and I have been looking forward to the new non-stop service,” commented Larsen.

Connecting the hub of Scandinavia with the hub of the Middle East

A total of 245 passengers were ready to board the flight at gate C37, where champagne and Arab snacks were served and Arab music was played before the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The opening ceremony was attended by Lars Sandahl Sørensen, Commercial Director, SAS, Mats Jonsson, Director, Dubai Nordic Countries, and Brian Petersen, President and CEO of Copenhagen Airports A/S.

“It is a great pleasure to welcome passengers to this new international route to Dubai. The opening of a new route is always a special event, but a new non-stop service to Dubai is really unique because it connects the hub of Scandinavia with the hub of the Middle East, and that creates many new opportunities,” said Lars Sandahl Sørensen, Commercial Director, SAS International.  

Strengthening the route network

Brian Petersen, President and CEO of Copenhagen Airports, envisages a great potential in the new non-stop service which takes passengers from Scandinavia to one of the most rapidly growing tourist and commercial centres of the world in just six and a half hours.

“The intercontinental routes are the backbone of our position as the largest hub for traffic to and from Scandinavia. Moreover, the overseas routes are a prerequisite for our ability to offer a well-developed route network to our many locally departing and transfer passengers. We are therefore very pleased that SAS has opened this new route, which will strengthen their route network out of Copenhagen, said Brian Petersen, adding that he and his family recently bought tickets to Dubai for the Christmas holidays.

Copenhagen Airport’s international activities currently include 19 overseas routes, eight of which are operated by SAS.

The service between Copenhagen and Dubai is a seasonal service that will be operated between October and March.

Caption: Mats Jonsson, Director of Dubai Nordic Countries, and Brian Petersen, President and CEO of Copenhagen Airport, during the opening ceremony to mark the new non-stop flight to Dubai.




SAS operates the Copenhagen-Dubai service using Airbus 340-300s with 245 seats: 46 in Business, 28 in Economy Extra and 171 in Economy.
 
There are three weekly frequencies: Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, leaving Copenhagen at 9.15 pm and arriving in Dubai at 6.35 am local time.
 
The flying time from Copenhagen Airport is approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes.
 
From Dubai, SAS offers good connections to key Middle East destinations, including Bahrain, Doha, Jeddah, Muscat and Tehran.
 
Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. In recent years, the city has grown into one of the world’s leading tourist destinations and one of the most rapidly growing commercial centres.