SAS Abruptly Cancels Planned Return to Tel Aviv Route

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has unexpectedly removed its direct flight route between Copenhagen and Tel Aviv from its booking systems, just days after announcing its planned return to Israel. The airline was scheduled to resume flights on October 26, coinciding with the start of the winter flight schedule, offering four weekly services. Tickets were available for purchase for this route until recently, with bookings disappearing from the system overnight. Travel agents also confirmed they can no longer book flights on this route.

The sudden cancellation has surprised industry observers in Israel. A search for flights from Copenhagen to Tel Aviv on October 26 now shows only connecting flights through cities like Munich, Amsterdam, or Paris, with no direct option available. This move comes less than two weeks after SAS, a major North European airline, announced its intention to re-establish and even expand its operations in Israel. The planned flights were to operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturday evenings using Airbus A320neo aircraft, with both economy and business class options.

SAS had previously attempted to re-enter the Israeli market in October 2025, relaunching its direct route to Tel Aviv after more than a decade. However, the airline suspended its Middle East operations a few months later. Currently, there has been no official statement from SAS explaining the abrupt change in plans. While the airline's destination page for Israel still indicates service to Tel Aviv, the booking system does not reflect the direct flights that were slated to commence at the end of October.