Fagernes Airport, Leirin
Encyclopedia
Fagernes Airport, Leirin serves Fagernes
and the surrounding valleys of Valdres
, Hallingdal
and Gudbrandsdal
in Southern Norway
, 190 kilometres (118.1 mi) from Oslo
. Opened in 1987, it is owned and operated by state-owned Avinor
. The airport is 829 metres (2,719.8 ft) above sea level, and has a 2060 metres (6,758.5 ft) runway. It provides a regional service for the local population to Oslo
, subsidized by the Ministry of Transport
, as well as charter services during winter serving the nearby ski resorts. In 2009, the airport had 5,615 passengers.
The airport was originally planned as a conventional regional airport, but during its construction it was redesigned to accommodate larger jet aircraft. Originally owned by six local municipalities, it was taken over by the state in 1996. Norsk Air
started operations in 1987, but terminated them the following year. Coast Air
introduced state-subsidized services in 1990, and continued until the contract was won by Teddy Air
in 1996. From 2000 the airport was served by Guard Air, but following their bankruptcy in 2001, services were taken over by Widerøe
for six months, when Arctic Air won a one-year contract. Coast Air resumed the service from 2003 to 2008, when they went bankrupt. Air Norway
then operated services for one year, pending DOT LT's take over in 2009.
throughout the year. It offers a morning and afternoon round flight Monday through Friday, as well as an evening flight on Sundays.
The services are subsidized by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
, based on three-year public service obligation
tenders. DOT LT, operates a Saab 340
aircraft on the route.
Charter services are provided during the winter season, serving the wide range of ski resort
s in the area. During the winter of 2010/11 and 2011/12, weekly services are provided by Thomas Cook Airlines
using an Airbus A320
, on behalf of the British tour operator Neilson, serving Gatwick - Fagernes on Sundays in the period of December 19 until April 24.
is 2060 metres (6,758.5 ft) long, without a taxiway
. The apron
has standings for three A320/737-size jets, which allows charter aircraft up to the size of Airbus A321 and Boeing 757
to use the airport.
, Mosjøen
and Førde Airport, Bringeland
. Construction started in 1985, but plans were changed in 1986, when local authorities decided to build a longer runway to allow charter flights. The nearby Geilo Airport, Dagali
, a two-hour drive away, had already made a similar decision, and was in the process of extending its own runway. The airport opened on 31 October 1987. The state had initially paid 60% of the NOK 29.3 million investments for the 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) version of the airport, and the rest was financed by municipal
and county
grants. The increased cost of building a longer runway was estimated at NOK 59 million, financed by loans and municipal grants, plus a NOK 10 million investment from Dansk Folkeferie. This gave the airport a 2060 metres (6,758.5 ft) runway. The airport was owned by Valdres Lufthavn A/S, a privately held limited company with six municipalities as its principal shareholders. Following the airport's establishment, the Norwegian State Railways
' Valdres Line was closed in 1989.
By 1988, building costs had increased from NOK 88 to 131 million. The municipalities had co-signed for a foreign loan, and were forced to pay NOK 3.5 million annually just in interest, in addition to the operating cost of the airport; these were aggravated by not only the loss of the sole scheduled service, but also considerably less charter traffic than estimated. In 1990, the airport company was forced to refinance, and NOK 61 of 85 million in dept was refinanced
, and the obligations transferred from the airport company to the municipalities and the county. However, by 1991, passenger numbers were above 20,000, three quarters coming from charter traffic. On 1 January 1996, Fagernes Airport was nationalized, along with 25 other regional airports, and put under the control of the Norwegian Airport Authority
(now Avinor). Following the closure of Geilo Airport, Dagali
in 2003, Fagernes experienced an increase in charter traffic.
started a route from Fagernes to Oslo Airport, Fornebu
, and Bergen Airport, Flesland
, on 4 November 1987, using Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia
aircraft. The route turned out to be unprofitable, and was terminated on 1 June 1988, after the company had lost NOK 5 million. About 4,500 passengers were using the airport each year, compared to the 120,000 carried annually by the Valdresekpressen
coach service on the 190 kilometres (118.1 mi) to Oslo. Local politicians contacted Widerøe
to discuss the possibility of introducing scheduled services, but the airline stated that it would only fly if it was granted subsidies.
An agreement for the provision of subsidies on services to Oslo and Bergen was not reached with the Ministry of Transport until 1990. The state agreed to provide NOK 4.5 million, with the municipalities providing another NOK 2.6 million, and Oppland County Municipality
NOK 2 million. The county and municipalities were allowed to reduce their subsidies in the event that passenger numbers increased. Although initially planned to be introduced in January 1990, Widerøe later dropped out, and the contract was awarded to Coast Air
, who began operating on 3 September 1990, using a de Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft. The deal was the most expensive subsidy for regional aviation in the country; while the national average was NOK 156, the Fagernes route cost the authorities NOK 2,000 per passenger.
Coast Air continued to provide a service until 1 August 1996, when Fagernes became a trial for the use of public service obligation
s for regional aviation in Norway. The first contract was won by Teddy Air
, to serve both Oslo and Bergen. The contract agreed a subsidy of NOK 23.7 million for three years, 15% less than Coast Air had been receiving. Teddy Air operated until 1 August 1999, when Widerøe took over using de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 aircraft. At the same time, the route from Fagernes to Bergen was dropped from the schedule. Widerøe's contract lasted only eight months, until 1 April 2000, when Guard Air, who bid NOK 6.93 million per year, won the tender, and started flying with Dornier 228 aircraft. On 8 October 2001, Guard Air filed for bankruptcy, and the ministry signed an intermediate contract with Widerøe to fly the route. The subsequent tender was won by Arctic Air, who continued operation until 31 March 2003, using Dornier 228 aircraft.
From 1 April 2003, the contract was taken over by Coast Air, who put Jetstream 31 aircraft into use. The same company won the contract again in 2006. Following Coast Air's bankruptcy on 23 January 2008, the route was taken over by Air Norway
on 4 February, after an extraordinary tender, using Fairchild Metroliner aircraft. From 1 April 2009, the service wil be provided by DOT LT, who operate Saab 340
aircraft.
Fagernes
is the largest settlement in the valley of Valdres, Norway, with a population of 1,801. Fagernes is the administrative centre of the municipality of Nord-Aurdal.See video from the Fagernes Town : *...
and the surrounding valleys of Valdres
Valdres
Valdres is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.Administratively, Valdres belongs to Oppland. It consists of the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang and Etnedal. The main town in the region is...
, Hallingdal
Hallingdal
Hallingdal is a valley and traditional district in Buskerud county in Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol.-History:Ancient routes went to Vestlandet through Valdres and Hallingdal and down Røldal to Odda...
and Gudbrandsdal
Gudbrandsdal
The Gudbrandsdalen is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Oppland. The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer at Mjøsa, extending 230 km toward Romsdal...
in Southern Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, 190 kilometres (118.1 mi) from Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. Opened in 1987, it is owned and operated by state-owned Avinor
Avinor
Avinor AS is a state owned limited company in that operates most of the civil airports in Norway. The Norwegian state, via the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications controls 100 percent of the share capital. Avinor was created on 1 January 2003, by the privatization of the...
. The airport is 829 metres (2,719.8 ft) above sea level, and has a 2060 metres (6,758.5 ft) runway. It provides a regional service for the local population to Oslo
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is...
, subsidized by the Ministry of Transport
Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communications is a Norwegian ministry established in 1946, and is responsible for transportation and communication infrastructure in Norway. It is led by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa...
, as well as charter services during winter serving the nearby ski resorts. In 2009, the airport had 5,615 passengers.
The airport was originally planned as a conventional regional airport, but during its construction it was redesigned to accommodate larger jet aircraft. Originally owned by six local municipalities, it was taken over by the state in 1996. Norsk Air
Norsk Air
Widerøe Norsk Air AS, formerly known as Vestfoldfly, Norsk Flytjeneste AS and Norsk Air AS, was a Norwegian airline based at Sandefjord Airport, Torp...
started operations in 1987, but terminated them the following year. Coast Air
Coast Air
Coast Air AS was a regional airline based at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy in Norway. It was Norway's fourth-largest airline and operated domestic services within Norway, in addition to international services. Routes were concentrated along the West Coast, as well as some public service obligation...
introduced state-subsidized services in 1990, and continued until the contract was won by Teddy Air
Teddy Air
Teddy Air AS was a regional airline, based at Skien Airport, Geiteryggen, in Norway. Operating between 1989 and 2004, the company operated Britten-Norman Islander, Embraer 110 and Saab 340 aircraft. The company started by providing a scheduled service between Skien and Oslo in 1990, followed by...
in 1996. From 2000 the airport was served by Guard Air, but following their bankruptcy in 2001, services were taken over by Widerøe
Widerøe
Widerøe's Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a regional airline in Norway and part of the SAS Group. It operates a fleet of 34 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft , serving 41 domestic and 6 international destinations...
for six months, when Arctic Air won a one-year contract. Coast Air resumed the service from 2003 to 2008, when they went bankrupt. Air Norway
Air Norway
Air Norway AS is a virtual, regional airline based at Ørland Airport in the town of Brekstad, the administrative centre of the municipality of Ørland, in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway...
then operated services for one year, pending DOT LT's take over in 2009.
Operations
The Danish company Dot Lt provides a scheduled service from Fagernes to Oslo Airport, GardermoenOslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is...
throughout the year. It offers a morning and afternoon round flight Monday through Friday, as well as an evening flight on Sundays.
The services are subsidized by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communications is a Norwegian ministry established in 1946, and is responsible for transportation and communication infrastructure in Norway. It is led by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa...
, based on three-year public service obligation
Public Service Obligation
In transport, public service obligation or PSO is an arrangement in which a governing body or other authority offers an auction for subsidies, permit the winning company a monopoly to operate a specified service of public transport for a specified period of time for the given subsidy...
tenders. DOT LT, operates a Saab 340
Saab 340
The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...
aircraft on the route.
Charter services are provided during the winter season, serving the wide range of ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
s in the area. During the winter of 2010/11 and 2011/12, weekly services are provided by Thomas Cook Airlines
Thomas Cook Airlines
Thomas Cook Airlines is a British charter airline based in Manchester, England. It serves main holiday resorts worldwide, from its main bases at Manchester and Gatwick.The airline also operates services from nine other bases in the United Kingdom....
using an Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
, on behalf of the British tour operator Neilson, serving Gatwick - Fagernes on Sundays in the period of December 19 until April 24.
Facilities
Fagernes is an international airport with a 1800 square metres (19,375 sq ft) terminal building which includes immigration and customs clearing facilities, a self-serve cafeteria, duty free store and several car rentals. Parking is free, and there is a shuttle service to Fagernes town center which coordinates with all scheduled services to Oslo. The bus leaves the town center 50 minutes before each departure. The airport is closed on Saturdays. The paved runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
is 2060 metres (6,758.5 ft) long, without a taxiway
Taxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
. The apron
Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
has standings for three A320/737-size jets, which allows charter aircraft up to the size of Airbus A321 and Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
to use the airport.
History
Plans for an airport at Fagernes were initiated in 1975, and approved by the Norwegian Parliament in 1984, along with three other regional airports, at RørvikRørvik Airport, Ryum
Rørvik Airport, Ryum is a regional airport operated by Avinor that serves the municipalities of Vikna and Nærøy in the northwestern part of Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located south of the village of Rørvik and about west of the town of Kolvereid in Nærøy...
, Mosjøen
Mosjøen Airport, Kjærstad
Mosjøen Airport, Kjærstad is a regional airport serving Mosjøen in Nordland, Norway. In 2007 Mosjøen Airport had 76,294 passengers. It is owned and operated by the state owned Avinor.-Service:...
and Førde Airport, Bringeland
Førde Airport, Bringeland
Førde Airport, Bringeland is located in the municipality of Gaular in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The airport is at Bringelandsåsen, about east of the end of the Dalsfjorden at an elevation of above sea level....
. Construction started in 1985, but plans were changed in 1986, when local authorities decided to build a longer runway to allow charter flights. The nearby Geilo Airport, Dagali
Geilo Airport, Dagali
Geilo Airport, Dagali is a private airport located at Dagali in Hol, Norway. It was previously a public airport that was both a regional airport and served international tourist charter airlines serving the nearby ski resorts centered around Geilo. The airport opened in 1985, but failed...
, a two-hour drive away, had already made a similar decision, and was in the process of extending its own runway. The airport opened on 31 October 1987. The state had initially paid 60% of the NOK 29.3 million investments for the 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) version of the airport, and the rest was financed by municipal
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
and county
County municipality (Norway)
A county municipality is a Norwegian public elected body that is responsible for certain public administrative and service tasks within a county. Each county consists of county municipality, with the exception of Oslo, which is both a municipality and a county municipality...
grants. The increased cost of building a longer runway was estimated at NOK 59 million, financed by loans and municipal grants, plus a NOK 10 million investment from Dansk Folkeferie. This gave the airport a 2060 metres (6,758.5 ft) runway. The airport was owned by Valdres Lufthavn A/S, a privately held limited company with six municipalities as its principal shareholders. Following the airport's establishment, the Norwegian State Railways
Norwegian State Railways (1883–1996)
The Norwegian State Railways was a state-owned railway company that operated most of the railway network in Norway. The government agency was created in 1883 to oversee the construction and operation of all state-owned railways in Norway...
' Valdres Line was closed in 1989.
By 1988, building costs had increased from NOK 88 to 131 million. The municipalities had co-signed for a foreign loan, and were forced to pay NOK 3.5 million annually just in interest, in addition to the operating cost of the airport; these were aggravated by not only the loss of the sole scheduled service, but also considerably less charter traffic than estimated. In 1990, the airport company was forced to refinance, and NOK 61 of 85 million in dept was refinanced
Refinancing
Refinancing may refer to the replacement of an existing debt obligation with a debt obligation under different terms. The terms and conditions of refinancing may vary widely by country, province, or state, based on several economic factors such as, inherent risk, projected risk, political...
, and the obligations transferred from the airport company to the municipalities and the county. However, by 1991, passenger numbers were above 20,000, three quarters coming from charter traffic. On 1 January 1996, Fagernes Airport was nationalized, along with 25 other regional airports, and put under the control of the Norwegian Airport Authority
Avinor
Avinor AS is a state owned limited company in that operates most of the civil airports in Norway. The Norwegian state, via the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications controls 100 percent of the share capital. Avinor was created on 1 January 2003, by the privatization of the...
(now Avinor). Following the closure of Geilo Airport, Dagali
Geilo Airport, Dagali
Geilo Airport, Dagali is a private airport located at Dagali in Hol, Norway. It was previously a public airport that was both a regional airport and served international tourist charter airlines serving the nearby ski resorts centered around Geilo. The airport opened in 1985, but failed...
in 2003, Fagernes experienced an increase in charter traffic.
Operators
Norsk AirNorsk Air
Widerøe Norsk Air AS, formerly known as Vestfoldfly, Norsk Flytjeneste AS and Norsk Air AS, was a Norwegian airline based at Sandefjord Airport, Torp...
started a route from Fagernes to Oslo Airport, Fornebu
Oslo Airport, Fornebu
Oslo Airport, Fornebu was the main airport serving Oslo and Eastern Norway from 1 June 1939 to 7 October 1998. It was then replaced by Oslo Airport, Gardermoen and the area has since been redeveloped. The airport was located at Fornebu in Bærum, from the city center. Fornebu had two runways, one...
, and Bergen Airport, Flesland
Bergen Airport, Flesland
Bergen Airport, Flesland is an international airport located southwest of Bergen, Norway. Opened in 1955, it is the second-busiest airport in Norway, with 5,296,325 passengers in 2010. Flesland is operated by the state-owned Avinor...
, on 4 November 1987, using Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia
Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia
-Accidents:*Brazilian Air Force on July 8, 1988 an Embraer EMB 120RT Brasília registration FAB-2001 crashed during and engine-out landing at São José dos Campos. Five of the 9 occupants died....
aircraft. The route turned out to be unprofitable, and was terminated on 1 June 1988, after the company had lost NOK 5 million. About 4,500 passengers were using the airport each year, compared to the 120,000 carried annually by the Valdresekpressen
NOR-WAY Bussekspress
NOR-WAY Bussekspress is a Norwegian coach company, with lines in the north and south of Norway. Still, the two networks are separate. The southern network runs as south as Mandal, and as north as Namsos, while the northern network operates between Bodø and the North Cape or Honningsvåg...
coach service on the 190 kilometres (118.1 mi) to Oslo. Local politicians contacted Widerøe
Widerøe
Widerøe's Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a regional airline in Norway and part of the SAS Group. It operates a fleet of 34 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft , serving 41 domestic and 6 international destinations...
to discuss the possibility of introducing scheduled services, but the airline stated that it would only fly if it was granted subsidies.
An agreement for the provision of subsidies on services to Oslo and Bergen was not reached with the Ministry of Transport until 1990. The state agreed to provide NOK 4.5 million, with the municipalities providing another NOK 2.6 million, and Oppland County Municipality
Oppland County Municipality
Oppland County Municipality is the regional governing administration of Oppland, Norway. The main responsibilities of the county municipality includes the running of 13 upper secondary schools. It administrates county roadways, public transport, dental care, culture and cultural heritage...
NOK 2 million. The county and municipalities were allowed to reduce their subsidies in the event that passenger numbers increased. Although initially planned to be introduced in January 1990, Widerøe later dropped out, and the contract was awarded to Coast Air
Coast Air
Coast Air AS was a regional airline based at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy in Norway. It was Norway's fourth-largest airline and operated domestic services within Norway, in addition to international services. Routes were concentrated along the West Coast, as well as some public service obligation...
, who began operating on 3 September 1990, using a de Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft. The deal was the most expensive subsidy for regional aviation in the country; while the national average was NOK 156, the Fagernes route cost the authorities NOK 2,000 per passenger.
Coast Air continued to provide a service until 1 August 1996, when Fagernes became a trial for the use of public service obligation
Public Service Obligation
In transport, public service obligation or PSO is an arrangement in which a governing body or other authority offers an auction for subsidies, permit the winning company a monopoly to operate a specified service of public transport for a specified period of time for the given subsidy...
s for regional aviation in Norway. The first contract was won by Teddy Air
Teddy Air
Teddy Air AS was a regional airline, based at Skien Airport, Geiteryggen, in Norway. Operating between 1989 and 2004, the company operated Britten-Norman Islander, Embraer 110 and Saab 340 aircraft. The company started by providing a scheduled service between Skien and Oslo in 1990, followed by...
, to serve both Oslo and Bergen. The contract agreed a subsidy of NOK 23.7 million for three years, 15% less than Coast Air had been receiving. Teddy Air operated until 1 August 1999, when Widerøe took over using de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 aircraft. At the same time, the route from Fagernes to Bergen was dropped from the schedule. Widerøe's contract lasted only eight months, until 1 April 2000, when Guard Air, who bid NOK 6.93 million per year, won the tender, and started flying with Dornier 228 aircraft. On 8 October 2001, Guard Air filed for bankruptcy, and the ministry signed an intermediate contract with Widerøe to fly the route. The subsequent tender was won by Arctic Air, who continued operation until 31 March 2003, using Dornier 228 aircraft.
From 1 April 2003, the contract was taken over by Coast Air, who put Jetstream 31 aircraft into use. The same company won the contract again in 2006. Following Coast Air's bankruptcy on 23 January 2008, the route was taken over by Air Norway
Air Norway
Air Norway AS is a virtual, regional airline based at Ørland Airport in the town of Brekstad, the administrative centre of the municipality of Ørland, in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway...
on 4 February, after an extraordinary tender, using Fairchild Metroliner aircraft. From 1 April 2009, the service wil be provided by DOT LT, who operate Saab 340
Saab 340
The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...
aircraft.