The ticket price on the so-called FOT routes will drop by up to 50 per cent from 1 April next year. The change was announced at a press conference at Gardermoen at 9 o’clock. – The regional flight routes are an important part of the transport offer in the district. That is why the Government has decided to strengthen the route offer and reduce the ticket prices in the upcoming FOT announcements with the agreement starting in 2024, says Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård. A FOT route is an agreement where the state pays a fee for aircraft operators to take on routes that would otherwise be in the red. The aim of the scheme is to ultimately make it possible to live in the whole country, without too much “range anxiety”. – Lower prices will improve the weekday for many in Western Norway and Northern Norway. There are many people who depend on the short-haul network, whether they are businesses, commuters or people visiting family, says Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum. A dawning flight rebellion The FOT routes have broad political support in the Storting, but the scheme has been criticized for being underfunded and rigid. Among other things, there is no family discount on the routes, and passengers must pay air passenger tax, VAT and a CO2 tax that few other countries have on domestic flights in Norway. This is a measure Lower ticket prices and increased seat capacity Ticket prices on the FOT routes are currently regulated through maximum permitted ticket prices, fully flexible one way. These will be halved from 1 April 2024 for the routes operated by aircraft in Southern Norway and Northern Norway and for the Værøy–Bodø helicopter route from 1 August 2024. This will reduce the distance costs for both residents and businesses. In order to take account of a possible growth in demand, the requirement for seat capacity will increase where the number of passengers is expected to rise the most. Better accessibility from Helgeland and northwards For several years there has been a local desire for earlier landings in Bodø for the routes from Helgeland, in view of the possibility of day trips to the university hospital in Tromsø. The government wishes to meet this in order to better facilitate patients and other users of the flight route offer to the north. Change route structure and new FOT route in Finnmark and Nord-Troms The Government plans to implement changes in the route scheme in Finnmark and Nord-Troms. Strengthened correspondence requirements, fewer requirements for connections, and a new FOT route between Kirkenes and Tromsø will strengthen the transport offer between Aust-Finnmark and Tromsø. This is in line with the wishes of the county council of Troms and Finnmark. Requirements for night parking at Røros airport There is a problem with morning fog during periods of the year on the Røros–Oslo flight route, which has weakened the regularity of the flight route. Fog is more problematic when landing than when taking off. In the upcoming competition, there will be a requirement that the aircraft be parked overnight at Røros airport. This is in line with local wishes. The flight route Stord–Oslo will be included in the FOT scheme In the wake of the pandemic, the commercial flight route offer between Stord and Oslo has weakened. This has resulted in a local desire for the flight route to be included in the FOT scheme to ensure a predictable flight route offer. The government has taken note of this and the route will become part of the tender with the start of the agreement on 1 April 2024. Capacity requirements on the Værøy–Bodø helicopter route When the new agreement comes into force on 1 August 2024, the maximum ticket price on the Værøy–Bodø helicopter route will be halved. This is in line with the other FOT routes. as for the other FOT routes. In the upcoming tender, there will also be a requirement for at least 15 seats in the helicopter to ensure that the capacity in the route offer is continued at the current level. The new FOT routes come against a backdrop of “a dawning flight rebellion” in rural Norway, which has been a political embarrassment for the Støre government. In Hurdalsplattforma, the government announces that it will halve the prices of several of the departures on the short-haul network. news has previously written that the prices in the city have gone up, and that the number of seats bought by the state on the FOT routes to and from Helgeland has been reduced by 7 per cent. At the same time, the number of available seats on commercial routes between Bodø and Tromsø for all airlines has decreased by 33 percent compared to February 2019. – A big win for people and business in the districts – A big win for people and business in the districts, says Erling Sande ( Sp), who is leader of the Transport and Communications Committee at the Storting and parliamentary representative for Sogn og Fjordane. Among measures previously announced are electric aircraft on the short-haul network. The main goal is to start phasing in the FOT routes in 2028/2029 at the latest. But the government wants to make arrangements for this already by next year. The Norwegian short-haul network forms a good starting point for adopting new technology, said the transport minister during a press conference in January. In addition, the government wants Avinor to work to achieve fossil-free air port operations by 2030. Today, Norwegian aviation accounts for more than 2 percent of national greenhouse gas emissions.
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Up to half price on flights in the districts – news Vestland
