Eighty Years, One Rooftop: SAS Celebrated Its Anniversary in New York
Some airlines celebrate birthdays with a cake in the staff canteen. SAS flew to Manhattan and threw a rooftop party.
The airline marked its 80th anniversary on 17 September 2026. Special flights departed Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo, all bound for New York.
The destination was deliberate. New York was where the SAS story started.
Where It All Began
On 17 September 1946, the DC-4 Dan Viking left Stockholm's Bromma Airport for LaGuardia. It carried 28 passengers on SAS's inaugural flight.
The journey took 25 hours. Scheduled stops in Copenhagen, Prestwick and Gander punctuated the crossing.
New York greeted the arrival with a warm public reception. It was the start of eight decades of transatlantic connection.
This year's anniversary flights retraced that path. The difference was that a 25-hour multi-stop marathon became a direct flight of just under eight hours.
A Rooftop Reception in Manhattan
On 18 September, SAS hosted an exclusive anniversary reception on a rooftop in the heart of New York City. The event ran in partnership with Scandinavian diplomatic representations in New York and Washington DC.
Guests came from government, diplomacy, business, culture and aviation. They gathered to honour the 1946 journey and look toward the next chapter of transatlantic travel.
Anko van der Werff, President and CEO, spoke about a distinctly Scandinavian founding idea. Working together across borders would bring the region closer to the world.
He added that the world needs more Scandinavia. On a Manhattan rooftop in September, that felt like a reasonable claim.
A Legacy Worth Knowing
SAS pioneered the polar route in the 1950s, shortening travel between continents. The 1960s Jet Age brought speed and comfort, alongside a reputation for Scandinavian design and hospitality.
The airline later introduced the Boeing 747 and a new approach to business travel. In the 1990s, SAS co-founded Star Alliance and launched EuroBonus.
The future looks busy too. SAS has announced up to 40 Airbus widebody aircraft and 55 Embraer E195-E2 regional jets, alongside ongoing A320neo renewal.
Why Planners Should Care
Direct services from Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo make New York highly accessible for Nordic incentive groups. Just under eight hours puts Manhattan within easy reach.
Three departure capitals help pan-Scandinavian companies assemble groups without internal connections. Everyone flies from home and lands together.
Star Alliance membership opens onward connections across North America. That supports multi-city programs beyond New York.
The anniversary itself offers inspiration. SAS showed exactly how a rooftop reception in Manhattan frames a milestone.
New York: The City That Wrote the Incentive Playbook
New York is the benchmark incentive city for good reason. Nowhere else stacks so many venues, experiences and neighbourhoods within a few square miles.
Rooftop receptions are the obvious opener, and SAS proved their appeal. Skyline views at golden hour do most of the styling for you.
Private Broadway backstage tours, after-hours museum access at the Met or MoMA, and helicopter flights over Manhattan all scale for groups. A Hudson River yacht dinner delivers the Statue of Liberty at sunset.
Food programming is endless. Chef's tables, Chelsea Market tastings, and neighbourhood food tours through the Lower East Side or Brooklyn.
Brooklyn itself adds warehouse venues, street art walks and Dumbo waterfront photography. Central Park handles morning wellness sessions and bike tours.
For milestone events, the Rainbow Room, the Edge observation deck and historic townhouses all offer exclusive hire. Few cities match the range.
Your DMC Is the Difference
New York rewards planners who know where the doors are. Venue buyouts, museum after-hours access and Broadway partnerships all run through relationships.
Logistics matter just as much. Traffic timing, security coordination and group movement in Manhattan need experienced local hands.
Let our destination partners build a New York program worthy of an 80-year story.
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