The new route will start from October 1st and will be trafficked by Airbus A330s, meaning that there will be 266 seats available on each flight. Flights will continue at that frequency throughout the year.

In a press release, SAS said that the direct route will strengthen Copenhagen Airport's position as an important transit airport, as it offers routes to other major European destinations and longer routes to cities like New York, Boston and Toronto.

Paul Verhagen, the airline's commercial director, described the new route as "an unusual milestone for SAS", which would "open the doors between Scandinavia and one of the world's most dynamic economic centres".

SAS has not had a direct route between Denmark and India since 2009, according to airline industry site Check-in.dk, when the route between Copenhagen and New Delhi was closed to save costs.

Air India currently flies between Copenhagen and New Delhi in northern India, while Mumbai lies on the west coast.

Copenhagen Airport is not only Denmark's main airport, but also the closest major airport for much of southern Sweden.