SAS is a Finalist for Best Short-Haul Airline at the
2026 Travelling for Business Awards, and the nomination catches Scandinavia's flag carrier at a moment of confident reinvention. Restructured, recapitalised and flying under new alliance colours, SAS has turned its short-haul operation into the connective tissue between Britain and the Nordic economies — a corridor busy with energy, technology and design business.
The centrepiece is Copenhagen, which SAS is building into SkyTeam's northern European hub. From UK departures, travellers flow through a compact, efficient airport where connections onwards to Oslo, Stockholm, the Norwegian coast and the Baltic capitals are measured in minutes rather than hours. Direct services also link Britain to Oslo and Stockholm, giving point-to-point travellers the frequency a working week demands, while the wider network puts nearly every Scandinavian business destination one short hop away. Regional subsidiaries SAS Link and SAS Connect knit smaller Nordic cities into the same timetable, so a single booking from the UK can reach far beyond the capitals.
Alliance and partnership moves have multiplied the network's usefulness. Membership of SkyTeam — sealed after Air France-KLM's investment in the carrier — slots SAS into a global grid, and a
codeshare partnership with Virgin Atlantic opens smooth Scandinavia connections over Heathrow. A further
codeshare with Air France and KLM improves connectivity between Scandinavia and the United States, meaning a UK-originating itinerary can route through Copenhagen with one ticket and one set of rules. EuroBonus, among Europe's most generous loyalty schemes, sweetens the repetition for frequent commuters.
The onboard experience reflects Scandinavian instincts: calm cabins, functional design, decent coffee and Wi-Fi, delivered aboard an increasingly modern Airbus A320neo fleet that has cut both emissions and cabin noise. It is short-haul flying without theatre — punctual, understated and easy to work around, from a carrier that has been navigating Nordic winters since 1946 and treats operational reliability in hard weather as a core competence rather than an aspiration.
A place among the 2026 Finalists marks out an airline that has emerged from turbulence with its purpose clarified: to be the business bridge between Britain and the Nordics. Winners will be announced at the 2026 Travelling for Business Awards, and the reborn SAS has earned its seat at the table.
