Eurowings to lead the Lufthansa Group’s long-sought expansion into Scandinavia

The Lufthansa Group’s budget arm Eurowings is making a play for the Swedish market as the competitive landscape continues to shift in Europe. The move realizes the German group’s long-held aim to capture a larger share of the Scandinavian market but comes as other carriers also see opportunities in the region as Norwegian Air and SAS continue to struggle. From March, Eurowings will offer nonstop service from Stockholm’s Arlanda airport and 20 European destinations, including sun runs to Alicante, Faro and Nice, as well as more traditional destinations Berlin, Birmingham and Copenhagen. The airline will initially base 150 crew members and five Airbus A320s at Arlanda. “We have done our homework and responded quickly to new customer needs and requests,” said Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof on Thursday. “We are convinced we will soon also attract many Swedish vacationers and business travelers with our cutting-edge services.” The Lufthansa Group has long had its eye on the Scandinavian market. For years, those overtures took the form of a possible acquisition of SAS and, according to reports in 2016, its integration into Eurowings. Nothing came of those plans with SAS remaining an independent carrier and fellow Star Alliance member. Story has more.<br/>