Star Alliance carrier SAS is to open a new transatlantic service to Atlanta, a key hub for rival alliance SkyTeam which the airline is set to join.
It will start serving Atlanta from Copenhagen on 17 June. The carrier’s reservations system indicates it will use Airbus A330-300s on the route.
This will bring to nine the number of North American destinations to which SAS operates.
Atlanta is a hub for key SkyTeam carrier Delta Airlines.
SAS states that, under an agreement with Delta, passengers will be able to take onward flights to destinations – including cities in the southern USA, Caribbean and Latin America – served by the US carrier out of Atlanta.
“This development means an expanded offering for SAS passengers,” says SAS chief executive Anko van der Werff.
SAS is undergoing restructuring through a US Chapter 11 process, which involves a recapitalisation of the airline.
SkyTeam’s Air France-KLM Group is to become a shareholder of SAS through participation in this recapitalisation and, as part of the scheme, SAS will leave Star to join SkyTeam.
SAS will also carry out transatlantic services this summer to New York JFK, Newark, Chicago, Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto and – until 7 April – Miami.
