SAS Scandinavian Airlines has recorded a 41% increase in bookings for its winter season service between Dubai and Copenhagen, compared to the same period last year, according to Emirates Business.
The national carrier for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, which flies to Dubai from October until April every year with three weekly flights, has attributed this increase in demand to a 30% decrease in airfare, coupled with UAE’s growing attraction as a tourist destination to Scandinavian countries.
Due to last year’s global downturn, the airline was forced to cut its seat capacity by 20%, resulting in some 20 planes being grounded, but SAS general manager, UAE Albert Henschel said the worst of the recession was over.
“The first indication of this was our bookings on the Dubai-Copenhagen sector, which were up by 41% when compared to the same month last year.
“As demand continues to rise, airfares will gradually follow suit and the playing ground should get more competitive,” Henschel told Emirates Business.
Henschel added that the recent international press attention focusing on Dubai had helped in boosting people’s curiosity to visit the city.
However, it would be unlikely that SAS would increase its limited five-month presence to a year-round route for the airline.
“We are still comparatively a small airline with a limited number of aircraft. We would much rather use our aircraft on more profitable routes such as Chicago or Beijing. However, as demand for these routes dips during the winter months, we were left with the option to ground those planes or send them somewhere else. Dubai was the ideal choice for those five months.”
Henschel hinted that new code share agreements with Mideast carriers would be likely in 2010, but said nothing definite had been agreed.