dailynewsnblog
Fairbanks is the second-largest city in the US federal state of Alaska, behind Anchorage, and home to the northernmost international airport in the United States of America. However, it is fair to say that the ‘International’ in Fairbanks International Airport’s (FAI) name is doing some rather heavy lifting, as both its passenger and cargo operations are currently limited to just a handful of US domestic routes.
However, overnight, the facility was subjected to an unlikely sprinkling of international flavor when an SAS Airbus A350-900 flying from Tokyo to Copenhagen had to divert there due to a medical emergency. This was the first time that an A350 had been seen in Fairbanks for more than six years, with the type’s last arrival there also arising not out of schedule but out of necessity, thanks to another diversion.
An Unlikely Arrival
Scandinavian Airlines flight SK984 is a regularly scheduled service that originates at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) in Japan. Its destination is Copenhagen Kastrup Airport (CPH) in Denmark, and, due to the carrier’s ongoing ability to use Russian airspace, this route currently operates ‘the long way round’ by flying eastbound over Alaska and northern Canada to reach Denmark. Today, it took off at 10:10 am.
However, as seen above, after crossing the International Date Line, it had to make an unplanned diversion to Fairbanks, Alaska, with airport staff confirming on Facebook that this was due to a medical emergency. This, one employee noted, meant that those working at the facility “finally got to use the airport’s international gate for the first time in eight months” amid the A350’s unplanned arrival late at night.
Simple Flying has reached out to SAS for further information regarding this incident. We will update our coverage if and when we receive a statement from the airline.
Back In the Sky
According to tracking data made available by Flightradar24, the aircraft operating 
SAS flight SK984 today is an Airbus A350-900 that bears the registration SE-RSD. This is one of five examples of the Airbus A350-900 that Scandinavian Airlines currently has at its disposal (plus one more on order), with ch-aviation showing that these jets are 4.4 years old on average. SE-RSD itself clocks in at 5.78 years old.
As detailed in the table below, the flight left Tokyo only marginally behind schedule, taking to the skies at 10:10 am today against a scheduled departure time of 9:55 am. After crossing the International Date Line over the Bering Sea, its unplanned landing in Fairbanks just about took place today, with the jet touching down at 12:18 am local time. From this point, it was on the ground for less than two hours.
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Scandinavian Airlines Flight SK984, March 20, 2026 |
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|---|---|---|
|
Per Flightradar24 |
Departure from Tokyo |
Arrival in Copenhagen |
|
Planned |
9:55 am |
3:35 pm |
|
Actual (estimated) |
10:10 am |
6:56 pm (via Fairbanks) |
Indeed, its eventual departure from Fairbanks took place at 2:04 am local time, and, at the time of writing, the aircraft remains in the air on its way back to Copenhagen. It is currently estimated to arrive in the Danish capital city at 6:56 pm, which, considering its detour and the couple of hours that it spent on the ground in Alaska, isn’t bad going at all. However, this isn’t Fairbanks’ first unplanned Airbus A350 visit.
Where Does SAS Fly Its Airbus A350s?
The Scandinavian carrier presently has five examples of the next-generation widebody in its fleet.
Six Years Since Fairbanks’ Last A350 Diversion
Indeed, back in January 2020, the airport also welcomed a Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-900 after it had to make an unplanned diversion while operating a transpacific flight. As Simple Flying reported at the time, DL159 touched down in Fairbanks after suffering engine issues while making its way from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) to Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) in South Korea.
With this being a technical problem rather than a medical issue, it wasn’t such a quick pitstop, with the passengers and crew having to stay overnight in Fairbanks. Delta then flew a replacement A350-900 out to Alaska, where the new jet picked them back up and reached Seoul with a considerable delay. While A350 visits to Fairbanks are certainly few and far between, they definitely like to make the headlines!
