A large increase in air traffic to Tromsø could lead to new development of the airport – news Troms and Finnmark

– We see that already from the winter of 2025/2026, Tromsø airport will have challenges in growing, especially in international traffic, says airport manager Ivar Helsing Schrøen. In January, the airport opened a new international terminal that will serve 74 international flights a week. A development that cost over a billion kroner. Earlier this week, it became known that the airline EasyJet set up seven new direct routes between Tromsø and Europe. The airport manager says it may be difficult to take in even more international routes, despite the new terminal. – When we started planning the terminal in 2014-15, the growth forecasts were not of the caliber that we actually see. Demand for Northern Norway and Tromsø has exploded in the last two to three years, says Schrøen. On Thursday morning, he was on the radio broadcast for news Troms. This is what it looked like to open the terminal in January: This is what it looked like when the terminal opened in January. Looking at possibilities for development Schrøen believes that the growth in international traffic to Northern Norway will continue in the years to come. – We have already started to look at the possibilities for development, but it takes some time with larger developments, he says. The direct routes from abroad fly in the winter, as it is the northern lights and arctic winter that lure tourists to the north. The challenge is that the companies that want to fly get good timetables. – They want good times to fly at, among other things, to make connections to fit with intercontinental routes from the major airports in Europe. It is limited by capacity within a given time period, says the airport manager. Airport manager at Tromsø airport, Ivar Helsing Schrøer, says they are already considering development. Photo: Jørn Inge Johansen Due to the location of the airport in the city, they will be restrictive in allowing night flights. At the same time, Schrøen points out that the international routes should not exceed domestic traffic. – It has been well established over many years, but it can be a challenge, he says. Challenges notwithstanding, the airport manager thinks it is gratifying that more people abroad have opened their eyes to Northern Norway. He points out that Evenes and Alta have also received more international traffic. – I think it is very positive, Northern Norway is a fantastic part of the country. It is very pleasant for both the region and Tromsø that more international routes are coming to the north, says Schrøer. Published 16.06.2024, at 09.41



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