“These new codeshare services will create substantial benefits for passengers traveling between the United States and Scandinavia," according to the airlines' statement.
The application outlined 14 routes to ten U.S. destinations covered by the codeshare agreement. It requested DOT approval for non-stop or intermediate routings between any point in the U.S. and Scandinavia.
The agreement would enable Air France passengers to fly to Copenhagen, Oslo, or Stockholm before boarding an SAS flight to the U.S. According to aviation analytics company Cirium’s Diio Mi airline planning tool, Air France currently offers flights from Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) only to these three Scandinavian capitals.
The proposed codeshare agreement includes routes to major Delta Air Lines hubs such as Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), New York-JFK, among others. Delta owns a 3% stake in Air France-KLM, which recently announced its intention to become a majority shareholder of SAS with a 60.5% stake.
In parallel with this application, SAS also filed for DOT authorization of a partnership with Aeromexico. This agreement would carry SAS's SK designator code on 22 itineraries from Cancun International Airport (CUN), Mexico City International Airport (MEX), Guadalajara International Airport (GDL), and Monterrey International Airport (MTY).
“All SAS codeshare passengers will have a Mexico-Scandinavia routing; none will have a US-Mexico routing,” stated the filing.
These agreements require DOT approval since they involve flights landing on U.S. soil. Following its restructuring processes in Sweden and Chapter 11 in the U.S., SAS has aligned itself closer with SkyTeam after leaving Star Alliance. In addition to Air France-KLM's investment in SAS, Delta holds a 20% stake in Aeromexico.