United Airlines, Icelandair, and SAS Scandinavian Expand Americas Routes in 2025
United Airlines, Icelandair, and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) have unveiled bold plans to broaden international connectivity in the Americas with several new routes launching in 2025. These strategic moves come as airlines seek to capture growing demand in key global markets, enhance network flexibility, and offer passengers more travel options between the Americas, Asia, and Europe.
United Airlines is gearing up to launch a new transpacific service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) on May 1, 2025. Operating three weekly flights on Boeing 787-9 aircraft, the new LAX–PEK route spans 6,235 miles and is designed to meet robust passenger demand, which surged by 35.5% in 2024 compared to the previous year. United’s expansion comes amid a broader reconfiguration of its Asia services; the airline is currently operating daily flights from San Francisco to Beijing and Shanghai, while also planning equipment adjustments on its San Francisco–Beijing route. This initiative reinforces United’s commitment to optimizing capacity in a challenging geopolitical environment, even as competitors like Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern continue to serve the LAX–China market.
Adding to the transatlantic growth, Icelandair is set to extend its North American network with a new seasonal route connecting Reykjavik Keflavik Airport (KEF) and Nashville International Airport (BNA). Beginning on April 10, 2025, the carrier will offer four weekly flights on Boeing 737-8 aircraft through October. This service will provide Nashville—a market with limited direct European links aside from a daily British Airways flight to London Heathrow—with fresh transatlantic connectivity. In addition, Aer Lingus is launching a Dublin–Nashville route on Airbus A321XLR starting April 12, further bolstering the region’s international travel options. Market intelligence indicates that London was the largest origin-destination market from Nashville to Europe in 2024, highlighting strong demand that Icelandair and its partners aim to capture. Icelandair’s strategy focuses on tapping secondary U.S. cities with burgeoning international demand, supported by its recent partnership with Southwest Airlines to enhance feeder traffic through key U.S. hubs.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is also set to resume its transatlantic operations with the reintroduction of flights between Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Launching on May 21, 2025, SAS will operate five weekly roundtrip flights on an Airbus A350-900. This route marks SAS’s return to the Seattle market after a 15-year hiatus and positions Seattle as the carrier’s 10th North American destination. With an estimated 740,000 Scandinavian-Americans in Washington state, the new service offers valuable one-stop connections via Copenhagen to 39 European cities, including major hubs like Berlin, Helsinki, Milan, and Zurich. The relaunch aligns with Delta Air Lines’ expansion at SEA, as Delta’s extensive network further enhances the domestic and international connectivity available to SAS passengers. Notably, SAS’s renewed focus on transatlantic expansion follows its entry into the SkyTeam alliance and a strategic partnership with Delta Air Lines.
These route launches by United Airlines, Icelandair, and SAS illustrate a dynamic shift in global air travel, as carriers innovate and invest in new markets. With enhanced connectivity, optimized equipment deployment, and strengthened alliances, these airlines are well positioned to meet evolving passenger demands across the Americas and beyond.
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