There are large distances in Northern Norway, and flying is often the most time-efficient option when traveling around the country. But it can quickly become expensive. The contractor company Harald Nilsen AS from Alta has experienced this. They have concluded that a car is the cheapest option when employees go to work in the rural areas. – The price difference is so great now that we clearly choose a car, says general manager Halvdan Heggheim. The employees of the company Harald Nilsen AS in Alta drive around the district, rather than fly. The costs of air transport are too high, they believe. Photo: Christina Gjertsen / news I think many people think alike The company has included the time the employees spend on transport in the calculation, and concluded that a car is a significantly cheaper means of transport than flying. – The most expensive place to fly must be in Northern Norway. We are surprised when we compare the flight prices in the north, south and internationally, says Heggheim. He believes many other companies in the business world think the same. – A year ago, the situation was different. Something has happened. We have a branch office in Brønnøysund, and it costs us half a fortune to travel there by plane, says Heggheim. 16,000 for one journey Guro Brandshaug, general manager of Orinor in Kirkenes, says that they too notice the high flight prices. – I often travel between Kirkenes and Alta, and lately it has cost around NOK 4,000 one way. The flight offer is very challenging, says Guro Brandshaug. Orinor in Kirkenes believes that the small aircraft routes and the short-haul network are the very lifeblood of Northern Norway. Photo: STIAN STROM / news The business leader says that she knows of an example where someone paid NOK 16,000 for a journey from Svolvær to Båtsfjord. In comparison, a similar journey in distance, Kristiansand – Trondheim, is around NOK 4,000 round trip. – It is important for the whole of northern Norwegian society that we have the small aircraft routes and a good short-haul network. It is the very lifeblood, says Brandshaug. Is it too expensive to fly in Northern Norway? State-supported offer Norwegian air traffic is primarily operated commercially. When the flight route offer on the market is not satisfactory, the state buys flight route services where they set requirements for price, capacity and frequency. - The state spends NOK 700 million a year on FOT routes in northern Norway. That’s what Jakob Bjelland (Sp), state secretary for the Ministry of Transport and Communications says. The state only has an impact on the price level on the FOT routes, and not those on the commercial routes that the aircraft operators themselves establish in Northern Norway. State Secretary Jakob Bjelland (Sp) is inspired by the innovative business life in Northern Norway. Photo: Marte Rommetveit / news – We are aware of how important the air service is for Northern Norway, and that this is often the only option for people and businesses, says Bjelland. Lower prices and more routes Today’s price level was designed by the previous government in 2021, and the agreements entered into have a duration until 2024. The new government wants to bring prices down. – We want to make it more attractive to live, live and do business in the rural areas. The short-haul network is our public transport service up here, says Johan Vasara (Ap). He is state secretary for the Ministry of Transport, and adds that the work to create a new flight route plan, where they advocate for better route offers and cheaper ticket prices, is underway. The new government is working to lower airfares and increase the number of routes on the short-haul network. A change will probably be in place in 2024. Photo: Julie Groseth / news – We hope to have this in place in 2024, says Vasara. He clarifies that the Storting’s consideration of the annual state budgets will determine what the price level will be in the future. Also read: The Center Party will make it cheaper to fly in Northern Norway: – The state must take greater responsibility
ttn-69
Had to shell out NOK 16,000 to travel by plane from Lofoten to Finnmark – news Troms and Finnmark
