SAS opens new direct route between London Heathrow and Luleå, Swedish Lapland

SAS, Scandinavian Airlines, in conjunction with Swedish Lapland Visitors Board and Luleå Airport, has announced the launch of a new seasonal route for winter 2021-2, which will open a direct connection between London Heathrow and Luleå Airport.

The flight will operate on Mondays and Fridays, beginning 17 December 2021 and running until 21 March 2022. It is the only direct flight connection between Swedish Lapland and the United Kingdom and will be operated by modern, fuel-efficient Airbus A320 aircraft in order to minimise climate-affecting emissions.

The flight is the culmination of a number of years’ work for the teams at Swedish Lapland Visitors Board and Luleå Airport. Luleå and Swedish Lapland attracts a growing number of British and European travellers each year with the destination’s many exclusive hotels, incomparable arctic lifestyle and outdoor winter activities that are very appealing to the British market. The timetable and route will also suit northerners who want to discover London, whether that be for leisure or business travel.

It is extremely easy for travel agents to access tickets for their clients for the flight via GDS systems or via a number of dedicated packages created by the flight’s partners, Artisan Travel, Best Served Scandinavia (Wexas) and Sunvil.

“Improved accessibility is a crucial factor for the continued development of the hospitality industry in this part of Sweden. That we have succeeded in attracting airlines to invest in a direct route is a sign of confidence in our destination. Although Sweden is not currently on the UK government’s green list, that SAS has continued to pursue launching this route says something about the potential linked to international guests’ demand for our Arctic culture and nature”, says Annika Fredriksson, acting CEO of Swedish Lapland Visitors Board.

“We are very happy to be able to offer a route with an attractive timetable that connects Luleå and the rest of Northern Sweden with London. Interest in northern Scandinavia is constantly growing as travellers look for new and more natural experiences. Several tour operators and travel agencies have shown interest in the new line. London is also the largest European market for many companies in northern Sweden and the new route will contribute to growth for the region's business community,” says Theres Briger, Head of Sales, Sweden, SAS.

“It is extremely gratifying that now, when the vaccinations are underway, we can start looking ahead again and that we will have an international flight route from Luleå Airport this winter. Accessibility will be important in the restart after the pandemic and more direct routes are important for the region and the hospitality industry throughout Sweden”, says Ann-Christin Viklund, Airport Manager at Luleå Airport.

Ann-Christin concludes, “Being able to offer our travellers direct flights to London means a smoother and safer journey, which will attract more visitors to the region. That SAS, which is a key player in the Scandinavian travel industry, chooses to launch a route between Luleå Airport and London is really a feather in the cap, not only for our airport, but also for the region as an attractive destination.”

Cecilia Petzäll, Travel Trade manager at Swedish Lapland Visitors Board, believes that the hospitality companies in Swedish Lapland are well prepared. Not only have they been collaborating more than ever before with one another, in collaboration with tour operators and wholesalers based in the UK and SAS, the companies have created several attractive Arctic packages for guests to enjoy. They are ready to receive an increased number of visitors next winter season with the same authenticity and quality that they are renowned for.

“The world's hospitality industry has had a really tough year and the fact that this direct flight is being launched gives us all hope for a brighter future for the companies in the destination Swedish Lapland.”, says Cecilia.

“For many years, we have built awareness of our Arctic destination through collaborating with the UK media and with an ever growing presence on social media, showcasing our fantastic entrepreneurs' unique and attractive experiences. It has paid off. Before the pandemic hit, the number of British guest nights has increased by 5% year on year. We can’t wait to see this number grow even more as a result of the flight”, Cecilia concludes.

Listings information
Seasonal flight dates: From 17^th December 2021 – 21^st March 2022
Flight duration: 3hrs

Timetable

For more information, images or interview requests, please contact: 

Cecilia Petzäll, Swedish Lapland Visitors Board:
cecilia.petzall@swedishlapland.com, + 46 (0)70-383 30 30
Swedish Lapland Visitors Board represents the hospitality industry in Sweden's Arctic destination, Swedish Lapland.

Ann-Christin Viklund, Luleå Airport:
annchristin.viklund@swedavia.se, +46 (0)70-214 47 69
Luleå Airport is Norrland's largest airport with a focus on sustainability and high accessibility. Luleå Airport’s in-house operation has been fossil fuel free since 2018.

SAS - Scandinavian Airlines

Safe travel with SAS
Flight is a safe way to travel in the pandemic because the air on board is particularly unfavourable for infection. In the past year, SAS has introduced a number of measures and routines to further create safe air travel. More information about Safe Travel with SAS can be found here: https://www.flysas.com/gb-en/safe-travel/

More flexible booking options
Flexibility is important for travellers, especially now that travel is more challenging than usual. SAS has therefore introduced more flexible rebooking options to make it easier for travellers.

SAS Sustainability work
SAS is working hard to switch to more sustainable travel, and in addition to modernising its fleet, SAS is striving to replace traditional aviation fuels with more sustainable alternatives to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions. SAS aims to reduce emissions by 25 percent by 2025, compared with the 2005 level.

Swedavia Airports 

Swedavia complies with the advice and recommendations of relevant authorities related to Covid-19. In addition, we comply with international regulations for the aviation industry. For information about the measures Swedavia has implemented for safe travel, see for example: www.swedavia.com/lulea/before-your-journey.

For many years, Swedavia has carried out ambitious sustainability work. All ten of the company’s airports achieved their goal of zero emissions of fossil carbon dioxide from their own operations by the end of 2020. Swedavia also works actively to promote the industry’s transition to biofuel and has the goal that five per cent of all fuel used to refuel aircraft at Swedish airports shall be fossil-free by 2025.

For further information, please contact Swedavia’s press office at tel.+46 (0)10-109 01 00 or press@swedavia.se.

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