After a hiatus of nearly 20 years, SAS Scandinavian Airlines resumed flights to Greenland last year. However, this comeback seems to have been short-lived. In the wake of the current oil crisis, the route already appears to be on the verge of being axed again.
Several weeks ago, cheaper booking classes for the entire summer season were already zeroed out, meaning flights could only be booked at exorbitant prices. Now, all flights for June and July have been cancelled. While they are still on the schedule for August, prices start at over €1,000 each way, making a cancellation there highly likely as well.
So far, SAS does not seem to have actively notified passengers about the cancellations. In my case, it was only when I manually pulled up my booking that it showed as cancelled (following a previous schedule change):
As a result, Air Greenland and Icelandair are once again the only airlines operating flights between Greenland and Europe. Under passenger rights regulations, travelers are entitled to be rebooked onto alternative airlines free of charge. However, SAS appears to be refusing this, leaving affected passengers high and dry. They may have to pay out of pocket and subsequently claim or sue SAS for reimbursement. Still, there are several pitfalls to look out for. German lawyer Dr. Böse offers some helpful tips on how to handle this on his blog.