The flight between Gothenburg and New York has resumed after more than 30 years, and the first regular direct flight will take place on Friday. SAS's direct flight will significantly shorten travel times for both business and leisure travelers. In the long run, it will benefit the business community by increasing accessibility, facilitating trade, increasing tourism and strengthening the attractiveness and competitiveness of the city and the region.
For the business community in Western Sweden, a direct line to the USA has long been a desire, and it is easy to understand why. The USA is the region's largest export market, and there are 200 American companies in the Gothenburg region with a total of 7,500 employees.
Direct flights between Gothenburg and New York reduce travel time and eliminate the need for stopovers, saving time and money. The route offers fast and convenient transfer trips to many parts of New York City and the eastern United States, where several large Western Swedish companies are already established. The flight increases the region's competitiveness compared to other regions in Europe that already have direct flights to New York and makes it easier for companies to establish themselves.
Direct flights facilitate trade between the two regions by increasing opportunities for companies to meet and develop relationships. In addition, it opens up opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration between the Gothenburg region and some of the United States' top universities, which can strengthen the city's attractiveness for international talent - an important factor in driving innovation and sustainable development forward.
“For Gothenburg to be internationally attractive, our infrastructure simply needs to grow in step with the economy. Direct connections are to be considered infrastructure,” says Henrik Einarsson.
Private tourism benefits the business community in the Gothenburg region
Not only business travelers but also private individuals will benefit from the flight route, which benefits the business community in the Gothenburg region. Direct flights enable increased tourism between Gothenburg and New York by making the trip more accessible and convenient for tourists. The Gothenburg region has become increasingly attractive to American tourists and entrepreneurs in recent years. According to statistics from Statistics Sweden and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, 119,000 American guests visited the region between January and October 2022.
– With a strong dollar, a new direct route could open up opportunities for more American tourists to visit Gothenburg, which is clearly a welcome addition in these times for the city's shops, hotels and restaurants, says Henrik Einarsson.
The Airbus A321 Long Range aircraft that will be used on this route belongs to the latest generation of aircraft and is expected to reduce climate-impacting emissions by 15–18 percent compared to previous generations of aircraft.
In summary, the new flight route between Gothenburg and New York will significantly shorten travel time and benefit both business and private travelers, the business community, tourism and the city's attractiveness and competitiveness.
Flights from Landvetter to New York will depart every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evening, while return flights from New York to Landvetter will take place late on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
According to the press release
