Tango-Bravo From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 3725 posts, RR: 31 Reply 2, posted (6 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 3331 times:
Quoting Jimyvr (Thread starter): On 24FEB57, SAS launched the first polar route from Copenhagen to Tokyo
Interesting synopsis of the service found at Plane-Spotter.com:
First over the Pole and Around the World
With the DC-7C SAS got a true long distance aircraft. The first DC-7C ("Torstein Viking" LN-MOB MSN 44927) was delivered to SAS on August 4th 1956. With these aircraft a new era was started. On February 24th 1957 a new service from Copenhagen to Tokyo over the North Pole with one stop at Anchorage, and this reduced the flying time from 52 hours to 32 hours. Since the southern route to Tokyo still was flown, in addition to the polar route - the DC-7C earned the right to put "FIRST OVER THE POLE AND AROUND THE WORLD" over the door.
Following the success of SAS in becoming the first airline to fly regular scheduled services from Europe to Tokyo and return via Anchorage, most of Europe's leading airlines as well as Japan Air Lines followed the lead of the airline that could rightly claim to be "First Over The Pole," a routing that continued to be favored until the opening of Siberian airspace for non-stop Europe-Tokyo flights beginning in the late 1980s further reduced flying times.
*** Plane-Spotter.com is an excellent resource for anything having to do with the history of SAS, past and present, including a fleet list giving the history of every aircraft that has served with SAS from the DC-3 to the present. A "must have a look" website for anyone having an interest in SAS.
Someone83 From Norway, joined Sep 2006, 2784 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (6 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 3161 times:
Quoting Centrair (Reply 1): The airline hopes to relaunch Stockholm-Tokyo service, which was briefly operated in mid-90s.
How many slots do they have?
14 (7 arrival amd 7 depature) which is enough for 1 daily CPH-NRT. ARN-NRT will not be launched until they get more slots which is unlikely to happen in the near future.
Btw the CPH-NRT route is said to be SAS's most profitable one
Kevin777 From Denmark, joined Sep 2006, 1154 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (6 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 3143 times:
Quoting Jimyvr (Thread starter): The airline hopes to relaunch Stockholm-Tokyo service, which was briefly operated in mid-90s.
Quoting ARN (Reply 4): Do they have to give away slots at Narita if they are reducing frequencies and/or destinations? And could those slots be obtained by SAS?
Right now SAS' best shot at more slots at NRT is landing slots on the shorter rwy; in this way they could utilize their precious slots on the longer rwy for more take-offs.. AY got four recently, doubling their capacity to NRT..
Kevin777
"I was waiting for you at DFW, but you must have been in LUV" CPH-GOT-CPH-GOT-CPH-GOT-CPH...
LN-KGL From Norway, joined Sep 1999, 803 posts, RR: 4 Reply 6, posted (6 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 3096 times:
Before SAS can expand on intercontinental routes, they need more aircraft. These days they only fly their intercontinental routes with only nine A330/A340 - the two last aircraft are either out for heavy check and cabin upgrade (new C seats and this upgrade will take more time than planned). That's the reason for their reduced network programme these days (to fly a full programme they need at least ten aircraft).
Roumours have it that they have first right on two used A340-313X from AC, but the new SAS CEO Mats Jansson will not sign the contact until having finished his first 90 days in office. In other words, we can expect a decision in April on their intercontinental future. Insiders reports about adding new destinations both in Asia and North America, but also OSL to North America (either to EWR or ORD) is included in the talks. OSL has a great demand for cargo capacity to North America (the narrow body CO flight between OSL and EWR has no space for cargo). SAS IC planners seems to get a very busy time this spring to get ready for the Winter 2007/2008.
Tango-Bravo, many thanks for your kind words about my spare time project
Someone83 From Norway, joined Sep 2006, 2784 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (6 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 3079 times:
Quoting LN-KGL (Reply 6): Before SAS can expand on intercontinental routes, they need more aircraft. These days they only fly their intercontinental routes with only nine A330/A340
You are 100% correct about that and I also forgot to mention that when I wrote why SK won't begin flying ARN-NRT, in addition to the slot restriction
Quoting LN-KGL (Reply 6): Insiders reports about adding new destinations both in Asia and North America, but also OSL to North America (either to EWR or ORD) is included in the talks.
I doubt that OSL is first on their list. There are several destination out of both ARN and CPH that will get priority over any OSL routes should SK get hold on addition 330/340
Kevin777 From Denmark, joined Sep 2006, 1154 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (6 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 3038 times:
Quoting Someone83 (Reply 7): Quoting LN-KGL (Reply 6):
Insiders reports about adding new destinations both in Asia and North America, but also OSL to North America (either to EWR or ORD) is included in the talks.
I doubt that OSL is first on their list. There are several destination out of both ARN and CPH that will get priority over any OSL routes should SK get hold on addition 330/340
Agreed.. Also (not that it's not an interesting subject!!) new SK long-hauls has been discussed extensively here recently..
As for polar routes, congrats to SAS! They were also IIRC the first ones to fly from Europe to LAX, via SFJ and YYC, back in 1950-something.Not exactly a polar route, but still, up north anyway! When the route opened, the mayor of L.A. came to Copenhagen and put up a sign at CPH saying "LA City Limit" - those were the days!!! I didn't see the mayor of Atlanta putting up a "welcome to Georgia" sign when DL opened on CPH (although he was on the premiere flight ATL-CPH IIRC)!
Kevin777
"I was waiting for you at DFW, but you must have been in LUV" CPH-GOT-CPH-GOT-CPH-GOT-CPH...
UpperDeck79 From Finland, joined Feb 2005, 1139 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (6 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 3013 times:
Quoting Tango-Bravo (Reply 2): Following the success of SAS in becoming the first airline to fly regular scheduled services from Europe to Tokyo and return via Anchorage, most of Europe's leading airlines as well as Japan Air Lines followed the lead of the airline that could rightly claim to be "First Over The Pole," routing that continued to be favored until the opening of Siberian airspace for non-stop Europe-Tokyo flights beginning in the late 1980s further reduced flying times.
That is a bit inaccurate. Non-stop Europe-Japan started in 1983 with Finnair flying HEL-NRT over the North Pole and avoiding both a stop in Alaska and Soviet Airspace. Flying time was about 13,5 h with the DC-10-30ER.
So non-stop Europe-Japan began way before Siberian airspace was opened.
Quote:
April 1983 marked the inauguration of Finnair's Helsinki-Tokyo route. This made the company the first airline in the world to operate a direct non-stop flight from western Europe to Japan. The route goes over the North Pole, via the Bering Straits, covering a distance of 11,024 km.
Carpethead From Japan, joined Aug 2004, 2772 posts, RR: 4 Reply 10, posted (6 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 3004 times:
If SK can swing another one or two A343s NRT-ARN may be possible. There are still some morning slots, as evidence with the increase in AY NRT-HEL from two to four weeklies and NH has doubled its NRT-SIN with a morning departure, so with the A343, they can do all their arrivals on the short runway and take-offs on the longer. Not to mention NH will add NRT-BOM daily with the 73GERs plus a handful of cargo flights will be added for JL & NH operated by 763F starting summer schedule.
It all depends on the financial willingness of SK to go forward.
Kevin777 From Denmark, joined Sep 2006, 1154 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (6 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 2952 times:
Quoting Carpethead (Reply 10): Not to mention NH will add NRT-BOM daily with the 73GERs plus a handful of cargo flights will be added for JL & NH operated by 763F starting summer schedule.
Isn't it a waste of good slots to use them for cargo and 737s??
Quoting Carpethead (Reply 10): It all depends on the financial willingness of SK to go forward.
What do you mean? Is it possible to buy a slot or?? Bribing somebody???
Kevin777
"I was waiting for you at DFW, but you must have been in LUV" CPH-GOT-CPH-GOT-CPH-GOT-CPH...
Sponsor Message: 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From Japan, joined Jan 2005, 3597 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 3725 posts, 
From Norway, joined Sep 2006, 2784 posts, 
From Sweden, joined Feb 2001, 253 posts, 
From Denmark, joined Sep 2006, 1154 posts, 
From Finland, joined Feb 2005, 1139 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
Printer friendly format 
