The period after the opening on 8 October 1998 was tough for the new Oslo airport. Someone was struggling to get the plane on track, and the luggage system was in trouble. There was some turbulence at Gardermoen, figuratively speaking. This was how the last preparations were made at Gardermoen one month before the airport opened, on 8 October 1998. The night before, the airport at Fornebu closed. Six months later, the Sami shaman Eirik Myrhaug Partapuoli entered the new airport. The aim was to get Oslo airport on track. “The plane is on schedule, and safety is good” With his coat on, and drum in hand, he walked around the terminal with a clear admonition to the universe: “The plane is on schedule, and safety is good”. “THE PLANE IS ON ROUTE, AND THE SECURITY GAME IS GOOD”: This reportage from 1999 shows the shaman Eirik Myrhaug Partapuoli in full swing of calling for a better Oslo airport. Several of the passengers shook their heads at the action. He was clearly informed that what he was doing was something crazy. But especially those from the north helped call for better times, says Partapuoli. – It was quite fun, he remembers. The shaman was called The shaman had experienced the much-discussed growing pains of the new main airport in the country. – I got a thought in my head that something could be done here, says Partapuoli. THE SHAMAN: Eirik Myrhaug Partapuoli has worked as a shaman since 1993. Could he do something for the then low-flying, new airport? Photo: Per Heimly He was actually inside the tank three times. – I suppressed him every time and thought: “Eirik, this is a huge ego thing”. But on a cold winter’s day in 1999, he got a whim again – a whim which may have contributed to the wind turning on the floundering new air port on Øvre Romerike. Then one of the broadcasting cars drove past his office at Jar. Shortly afterwards he contacted news. He and a journalist made an agreement to document his attempts to get Gardermoen on track. The 25-year-old shaman was perhaps on to something. Within a short time, the airport became one of Europe’s most punctual airports. PUNCTLEG: Nic Nilsen was the first airport director at Gardermoen. After a headwind start, the wind turned for Nilsen and the airport. Photo: Einar Yohsuke Kosaka / news And the plane is still on route more than 20 years later. Gardermoen was last year the most punctual of Europe’s major airports. The shaman, however, does not take credit for the successful turnaround. – The forces of the universe are screwed together in such a way that it is actually possible to influence things. Rarity: The planes usually fly when they are going from Oslo airport. Unless there is a strike, mind you. Photo: Mathias Moene Rød Strong growth Over the years, more and more people have taken the trip from, to or via Oslo airport. The year after opening, the airport had 14 million passengers. By comparison, the figure was 22 million in 2022, figures from Avinor show. After several extensions, the annual capacity has now doubled, to around 34 million passengers. CROWDS: Gardermoen is set to become the largest airport in the Nordics. Photo: ISMAIL BURAK AKKAN / news But the growth has come at a cost, both in terms of money and peace of mind. Many of the neighbors have been plagued by noise over the years. Many have also received compensation. 2003: The neighbors of the main airport can celebrate a complete victory in a noise compensation case against Oslo airport. 22 Gardermo neighbors received between NOK 100,000 and NOK 300,000 each in compensation. The captain who crept up first, Tord Tangvik, was the first to take off from the noisy settler on Gardermoen. He was the captain of Color Air’s flight to Ålesund at 06.58 on 8 October 1998. Actually, an SAS plane was supposed to take off first, but Tangvik cunningly managed to sneak up to be first: The first departure from Gardermoen did not go as planned. 25 years later, 475 million passengers have traveled through Oslo Airport. 13,000 employees distributed among over 150 companies ensure that safety will continue to be good, and that the plane is on schedule. – We are so proud of this airport, says current director at Oslo airport Stine Westby about the 25-year-old celebrating his birthday. They have every reason to be, the shaman believes. What do you think of Gardermoen keeping up with the times so many years later? – I think that is absolutely fantastic. The work they put in and the thinking there has proven to be a success, he says before adding: – Then talking to the universe has also had a good effect then. Hello! Thank you for reading the story! Do you have thoughts about this matter that you would like to share with me? Or tips for other things I should write about? Feel free to send me an email!
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Celebrating 25 years – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
