SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK, Copenhagen Kastrup) has signed an agreement with Air Lease Corporation for three A321neo(LR)s that will enter into service in the first half of 2020 through 2021.

In a statement, SAS said the longhaul-capable narrowbody would allow it to open up thinner point-to-point routes in the Northeast United States, Canada, the Middle East, and India from Scandinavia. SAS currently uses its widebody fleet of eight A330-300s and eight A340-300s to run longhaul services out of Oslo Gardermoen, Copenhagen Kastrup, and Stockholm Arlanda.

“This is an entirely new aircraft type for SAS that is incredibly well suited to the Scandinavian market and our travel patterns. We are looking forward to launching new routes and to evaluate the A321LR in production,” Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO, SAS, said.

SAS said that with this announcement, it was now in the process of deciding on the first routes and cabin configuration of the aircraft. The new routes will gradually be communicated from spring 2019.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows SAS currently operates four A319-100s, eleven A320ceo, twenty-four A320neo (including nine operated by SAS Scandinavian Airlines Ireland (London Heathrow)), and eight A321ceo.