SAS Flight to Mumbai Returns to Copenhagen After Regulatory Delay

Manju.VMumbai: After an absence of 17 years, Scandinavian carrier SAS was scheduled to recommence its India flights with an early morning landing in Mumbai on Wednesday, but the inaugural flight had to turn back mid-way over regulatory issues.On Tuesday, flight SK969 departed Copenhagen for Mumbai around 8.30 pm, about four hours behind schedule, according to Flightradar24, a flight-tracking site. About four hours into the flight, the A330 aircraft was overhead in Azerbaijan when it turned back and diverted to Copenhagen.“The Copenhagen–Mumbai flight returned to Copenhagen after the final approval expected from the authorities was not issued as anticipated,” said the airline in a statement. “SAS completed all necessary operational and regulatory preparations for the launch following several months of planning and coordination. 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,” it added.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation did not respond to a query sent by TOI.“Our immediate focus is on supporting affected passengers and securing the remaining approval is obtained in order to commence service as soon as possible. The safety and security of our passengers, colleagues and operations is never compromised,” the airline said, adding that they’re ready to commence operations and expect the service to begin within the next couple of days once the formal approval has been issued.“The Copenhagen–Mumbai service marks SAS’ return to India after 17 years and is an important addition to our 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.