SAS's new direct route to Beirut from Stockholm, which starts on June 30, opens up even better accessibility between the cities. Beirut is one of the world's oldest cities and offers a wide range of experiences: well-preserved castles, historic churches and mosques, beautiful beaches and world-famous Lebanese cuisine. The number of travelers between the two cities has increased sharply in recent years, by just over 50 percent since 2015. Most are private travelers and more than half of them travel to visit family and friends. Tourism is also a major reason for travel.

– We are pleased that SAS is now choosing to develop traffic between Sweden and Lebanon as there is a need for improved connections between the countries. We therefore welcome this direct route to Beirut from Arlanda, which allows both Swedes and Lebanese to travel between the countries in a more convenient way, says Elizabeth Axtelius, Aviation Market Director at Swedavia.

– We are seeing increased demand for travel to Beirut from Scandinavia and it is pleasing that we can now offer an attractive timetable for our travellers from Arlanda. Beirut is an exciting holiday destination while many in Scandinavia also have a connection to the region, says Karl Sandlund, EVP Commercial, SAS.