Analysis: Scandinavia–U.S. Summer Capacity Shrinks 25%

The transatlantic market between Scandinavia and the U.S. is seeing a sharp contraction this summer, with overall capacity down 25% year-on-year despite the addition of three new routes.

According to analysis of OAG Schedules Analyser data for the summer 2025 season, total two-way seats between the U.S. and the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Sweden and Norway have fallen to 1.45 million—down from a record 1.94 million in summer 2024.

The decline largely stems from Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), which has cut its U.S. capacity by nearly one-third amid a broader network realignment following its September 2024 switch from Star Alliance to SkyTeam. SAS’ U.S. capacity now totals just over 1.13 million two-way seats, down from more than 1.6 million a year ago.

Although the airline has added new service from its Copenhagen hub to Seattle and reinstated New York John F. Kennedy—hubs for SkyTeam partner Delta Air Lines—reductions have been made across legacy Star Alliance destinations such as Chicago O’Hare, San Francisco and Newark. SAS’ Los Angeles and Boston routes have also seen decreases.

Additionally, Norse Atlantic Airways, another Scandinavian player in the long-haul market, has reduced its U.S. footprint. The airline has withdrawn its Oslo–Los Angeles service and cut capacity overall by 60%, offering 32,804 seats this summer. American Airlines, which operates only a single route between Copenhagen and Philadelphia, has trimmed capacity by 10%, while United Airlines’ reduction is a more modest 1.2%.

Only Delta is expanding its transatlantic offering from Scandinavia, boosting capacity by nearly 30% to 198,492 seats. The Atlanta-based carrier now flies from New York JFK to Copenhagen and Stockholm, alongside the new addition of Minneapolis–St. Paul to Copenhagen.

The shifting capacity landscape reveals uneven impacts across the Nordic countries. U.S.-bound seats from Denmark are down 23.6%, while Sweden and Norway have experienced steeper declines of 27.1% and 27%, respectively. The drop is particularly pronounced on key routes, including Stockholm–Newark (down 44.9%), Copenhagen–Chicago O’Hare (down 43.9%) and Copenhagen–San Francisco (down 49.3%).

Despite the U.S. reductions, SAS is operating its largest-ever summer network in terms of destinations and frequencies, adding 28 new routes across 17 countries. The move reflects a strategic shift to capitalize on intra-European travel and SkyTeam connectivity.

The airline also emphasized its continued economic importance, particularly in Denmark. A newly released report by SEO Amsterdam Economics found that SAS contributes €5.6 billion ($6.4 billion) to Denmark’s GDP and supports 45,000 jobs nationwide. Of that total, €1.5 billion and 9,000 jobs stem from direct operations, while tourism and trade effects account for €2.8 billion and 25,000 jobs.