NEW DELHI: After a gap of 17 years, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) restored its flight operations to India on Tuesday (June 2) by launching a service from Copenhagen to Mumbai. However, the flight was forced to return midair after flying for about four hours when the crew was alerted that India's aviation regulator had not granted approval for the operation.
Flight SK969, an Airbus A330 aircraft, was flying over Azerbaijan when the Air Traffic Control unit in Copenhagen instructed the cockpit crew to turn back. Multiple aviation professionals confirmed the incident.
A team at Mumbai airport had been preparing for the landing of the maiden flight, with a water cannon salute kept on standby to welcome the aircraft at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. It was only later that airport authorities were informed the flight would not be landing. The aircraft flew back for another four hours before landing safely in Copenhagen.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is required to provide written approval for any flight operation. However, according to aviation sources, the approval had not been granted. Despite multiple calls and messages, the DGCA did not respond. The aviation ministry also did not comment.
In a statement, SAS said the flight returned to Copenhagen “after the final approval expected from authorities was not issued as anticipated.”
“SAS completed all necessary operational and regulatory preparations for the launch following several months of planning and co-ordination. Based on ongoing discussions with the relevant authorities, SAS had every expectation that the remaining formal approval would be finalised while the flight was en route. As the approval was not finalised as anticipated, the flight could not continue as planned,” the airline said.
“Our immediate focus is on supporting affected passengers and securing the remaining approval in order to commence service as soon as possible. We remain ready to commence operations and expect the service to begin within the next couple of days once the formal approval has been issued,” the airline added.
The Copenhagen–Mumbai service marks SAS' return to India after 17 years and is an important addition to its network, strengthening connectivity between Scandinavia and one of the world's fastest-growing markets.
“We look forward to welcoming customers onboard very soon and continuing this route as planned,” the airline added.
