SAS cancels summer flights to Sarajevo, Istanbul, and Nuuk due to fuel costs

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has canceled direct summer flights between Copenhagen and Sarajevo, Istanbul, and Nuuk, citing surging fuel prices linked to the conflict in Iran, the carrier confirmed to Danish broadcaster DR on Thursday.

The cancellations affect July departures to Sarajevo and Istanbul, with the Nuuk route suspended through both July and August. Passengers like Dalila Karalics, who planned to introduce her fiancé to her family in Bosnia, now face disrupted travel plans after her direct flight was scrapped.

“It’s really frustrating—this was supposed to be his first visit to where I’m from,” Karalics told DR. She declined SAS’s alternative routing, which would have doubled travel time with a layover, due to her fear of flying.

Adis Herak, another affected passenger, accepted a rebooking for his Sarajevo trip but now faces an eight-hour journey via Warsaw, including a five-hour layover. “Normally it’s just two hours and fifteen minutes,” he said.

SAS communications chief Alexandra Lingren Kaoukji described the cuts as “temporary capacity adjustments” to offset rising fuel costs, adding that the airline continues to evaluate routes based on developments in the Middle East. Domestic frequencies, such as Oslo-Bergen in Norway, have also been reduced.

Both Karalics and Herak criticized SAS for poor communication, saying they learned of cancellations through an app notification or a Facebook group rather than direct contact. “If I hadn’t seen it on Facebook, I’d have shown up at the airport two weeks later thinking everything was fine,” Karalics said.

The airline has not responded to the complaints. SAS began adjusting routes in April, framing the moves as necessary to protect core summer operations.