Non-stop service from Houston to Stavanger, Norway is coming at the end of August.
Map generated by the Great Circle Mapper - copyright © Karl L. Swartz.
SAS believes they’ve identified a niche market which is ready to cough up the big bucks necessary for convenient, point-to-point service connecting major business centers. Or, as Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO of SAS, indicated in a statement, “The route we have established is a tailored product for a defined market with particular travel needs.” In this case the market is the oil & gas industry. Stavanger is a jumping off point for much of the North Sea exploration area and Houston is a hub of activity for the industry as well as a connecting point for other regions with strong business ties to the market.
SAS is launching the route using a 737 from PrivatAir in 44-seat business class configuration. KLM used to operate a similar configuration between Houston and Amsterdam, also targeted at the oil & gas market. The route will operatee 6x weekly (no Saturday service). Tickets go on sale 29 April 2014. We’ll see if this one lasts longer than Delta’s ORD-LHR route (though I have to believe SAS has at least one corporate contract in hand to announce such a route, so it likely will actually operate). I just know that I want that line. Time to stalk award inventory.
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