Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) earlier today came out with a statement that they will shift their Copenhagen – Narita service to Haneda. The route will gives travellers access to downtown Tokyo directly with 30 domestic codeshare destinations with its Star Alliance partner All Nippon Airways (ANA). The metropolitan area of Tokyo has two international airports are looking to increase Japan’s tourist numbers by adding significantly more international flights ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics. Japan’s biggest airport, Haneda, is more ideally located for business travellers and the airport is set to add 50 international routes per day as, starting in late March 2020, the government of Japan for the first time will allow aircraft to fly over central Tokyo during the day.

The direct Copenhagen-Haneda route will be served by SAS’ brand new Airbus A350 aircraft. As the most environmental-friendly airplane on the market, the A350 will reduce emissions by 30 percent compared to earlier generations of similar long-haul aircraft.

“Japan is already a very popular destination, and this will provide a positive boost for our travellers, both in relation to business travel and tourism. The new service offers an attractive timetable to Haneda and we hope it will be well received and appreciated by our travellers throughout Scandinavia and Japan, SAS looks forward to the opportunity to serve Haneda from summer season 2020 in time for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. With this initiative, SAS aims to support Olympic athletes in the national teams of Denmark, Norway and Sweden in their quest for Olympic success”

Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO, SAS.

There is a large Scandinavian common market with a strong interest in Japan, both for leisure and business travel. The route is particularly well timed as SAS is in a unique cross border partnership with the three national Scandinavian Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committees and will be their principal airline partner during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Additional cities (Istanbul, Milan, Moscow, Shenzhen and Stockholm) are part of the 12 new routes ANA will serve out of Haneda Airport starting in 2020.

ANA will also be increasing the frequency of the Haneda – Los Angeles and Haneda – Sydney route in 2020.

The routes are part of ANA’s dual hub strategy to enhance its international network as Tokyo metropolitan airports continue to expand.

The two international airports had different roles when Narita first opened in 1978, Haneda was focused on domestic service while both ANA and JAL had to move their entire long-haul network til Narita. But since the opening of a fourth runway in 2010, the government of Japan has been gradually approve more international service from Haneda, with Narita will continue to serve more long-haul routes than Haneda, for legacy carriers like ANA and JAL, Haneda will become ever more important for capturing business travellers who are less price sensitive.

ANA will shift its U.S. destinations of San Jose, California, and Washington to Haneda with new destinations like San Francisco, Milan and Istanbul be added. This will shift ANA’s long haul operation to be more focused at Haneda. More capacity between Japan and Scandinavia will be added in spring 2020 when All Nippon Airways opens a new route between Haneda and Stockholm.