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Scandinavian Airlines and a growing field of European and leisure carriers are rapidly expanding long haul networks from Denmark, transforming Copenhagen into a powerful hub for sun seeking travelers headed to tropical destinations across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
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Copenhagen Emerges as a Nordic Super-Hub for Leisure Travel
Publicly available traffic data show that Copenhagen Airport has consolidated its position as the leading hub in Northern Europe, with 367 direct routes to 191 destinations served by 62 airlines in 2025. Growth in long haul capacity is a central part of that strategy, giving travelers from Denmark and southern Sweden more options to reach far flung holiday spots without backtracking through continental hubs.
Reports from the airport indicate that a strong mix of flag carriers, low cost operators and charter airlines are driving this expansion. New long haul routes over the past two years have broadened access to Asia, North America and the Middle East, while European connections feed transfer traffic into these intercontinental services. For leisure travelers, that means more opportunities to link short flights from regional Scandinavian cities with nonstop routes to warm weather destinations.
Copenhagen’s role as a departure point for winter sun has also been strengthened by increased capacity on routes to key global hubs such as Doha, Singapore and major US gateways. These services give passengers a choice between flying nonstop on SAS or tapping into one stop itineraries via partner hubs, depending on price, timing and preferred airline.
SAS Adds Phuket and Krabi to a Growing Thailand Portfolio
Thailand is emerging as a centerpiece of SAS’s leisure strategy. According to the airline’s published winter 2026/27 program, three new long haul routes from Copenhagen to Dubai, Phuket and Krabi will be launched, adding to the existing nonstop service to Bangkok. With Phuket and Krabi in place, SAS will be the only carrier offering scheduled commercial nonstop flights from Scandinavia to three different destinations in Thailand.
The move builds on the reopening and strengthening of the Copenhagen Bangkok route, which initially returned as a winter service targeting the northern hemisphere’s high season for Thai beach holidays. Network updates show that the Thailand offering has gradually shifted from a single city break style route into a multi destination portfolio aimed squarely at sun and sand travelers seeking direct access from Denmark.
Phuket and Krabi give Danish and wider Scandinavian customers a way to fly directly into two of the country’s most popular resort regions without a domestic transfer in Bangkok or a connection through Gulf or Asian hubs. For package tour operators and independent travelers alike, that can translate into shorter journey times, simpler itineraries and greater certainty during busy peak season periods.
New Winter Sun Routes Stretch From North Africa to the Atlantic
SAS is not limiting its growth to Southeast Asia. Documents outlining the airline’s winter 2025/26 schedule show six new destinations from Copenhagen, including Marrakech in Morocco and Fuerteventura and Madeira in the Atlantic. These additions extend Denmark’s direct reach into reliably warm regions that have traditionally been dominated by charter and low cost operators.
Marrakech gives Danish travelers a direct link to one of North Africa’s most in demand city break and gateway destinations, with easy onward access to the Atlas Mountains and coastal resorts. Madeira and Fuerteventura, meanwhile, tap into enduring demand for mild weather and outdoor activities during the Scandinavian winter, complementing existing flows to the Canary Islands and other Atlantic islands served from Denmark.
The expansion of medium and long haul leisure routes also supports Copenhagen Airport’s broader objective of sustaining and growing its intercontinental network. By filling aircraft with a mix of local and transfer passengers on these winter friendly routes, SAS and its partners help ensure year round viability for services that underpin the airport’s status as a northern European hub.
Charter and Leisure Carriers Deepen Tropical Connectivity
While SAS takes the lead on scheduled intercontinental growth, charter and leisure airlines are quietly expanding their own tropical offerings from Denmark. Sunclass Airlines, headquartered in Denmark, operates extensive charter services from Copenhagen and other Nordic airports to beach destinations across Europe, Southeast Asia and parts of Africa. Industry summaries list services to popular holiday regions such as Thailand, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, typically sold as part of package holidays through major tour operators.
Nordic units of large European leisure groups, including brands under the TUI umbrella, also route significant winter sun traffic through Copenhagen. Company information and destination lists show that these carriers offer charter flights from Denmark to tropical and subtropical destinations including Krabi, other parts of Thailand and long established resort areas around the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Many of these flights are scheduled seasonally to match school holidays and peak demand windows.
This charter capacity operates alongside scheduled services, contributing to the overall depth of the market and giving Danish travelers a choice between fixed package itineraries and independent, ticket only bookings. The interplay between SAS, European low cost airlines and tour operator fleets helps keep fares competitive on key leisure corridors while allowing capacity to flex as demand patterns evolve.
Denmark’s Tropical Reach Extends Across Asia and the Middle East
Recent route announcements highlight how Denmark’s tropical reach now spans a wide geography. In addition to Thailand, SAS’s upcoming Dubai route from Copenhagen adds another important link into a major Middle Eastern hub that functions as a gateway to the Indian Ocean, East Africa and South Asia. For travelers, this offers more one stop combinations to island destinations such as the Maldives, Mauritius and Zanzibar, all reachable with a single transfer in the Gulf.
Other European and Gulf carriers serving Copenhagen, including airlines that have increased frequencies to Doha and Singapore, provide further options to connect to beach destinations in Southeast Asia, Oceania and the wider Asia Pacific region. Airport traffic reports describe Doha as one of the most popular long haul destinations from Copenhagen, underlining how hub connections are being used to reach onward tropical markets.
Taken together, these developments mean Danish travelers now have access to a broader range of warm weather routes than at any point in the past. Nonstop services to Thailand and North Africa, increased capacity to sun friendly Atlantic islands and dense connectivity via Gulf and Asian hubs are collectively reshaping how passengers in Denmark plan their winter escapes and long haul beach holidays.
SAS launches new long haul routes to Dubai and Thailand for Winter 2026/27
SAS adds six new routes and more seats for winter travel 2025/26