Svalbard Airport
Encyclopedia
Svalbard Airport, Longyear is the main airport serving Svalbard
in Norway
. It is located 1.6 nautical mile
s (3 km) northwest of Longyearbyen
, and it is the northernmost airport in the world with public scheduled flights. The first airport near Longyearbyen was constructed during World War II. In 1959, it was first taken into use for occasional flights, but could only be used a few months a year. Construction of the new airport at Hotellneset started in 1973, and the airport was opened on 2 September 1975. It is owned and operated by state-owned Avinor
.
In 2009, the airport had 138,934 passengers. Scandinavian Airlines System
operates daily flights to Tromsø
and Oslo
on mainland Norway. Lufttransport
provides services to the two other airports on Svalbard: Ny-Ålesund and Svea
, using Dornier Do 228
turboprop aircraft. There are also regular charter flights.
, near Longyearbyen, by the Luftwaffe
during World War II. This was not used after the war; during the summer the archipelago was served by ships, but was completely isolated from November to May. In the early 1950s, the Norwegian Air Force started postal flights using a Catalina
aircraft that departed from Tromsø and dropped postal parcels at Bear Island and at Longyearbyen. However, these aircraft never landed until 9 February 1959, when a resident had become seriously ill, and needed to be flown to mainland Norway for treatment. The mining company Store Norske Spitsbergen Kullkompani cleared the runway at Adventsdalen and the 14-hour flight and landing was successful. A second landing, this time for delivery of post, was made on 11 March.
While the Catalina was suitable for postal flights, it was not suitable for a permanent solution for transporting passengers and freight, mainly due to its small size. Store Norske contacted the domestic airline Braathens SAFE
for a regular service. The first trial flight was made on 2 April 1959 with a Douglas DC-4
with 54 passengers from Bardufoss Airport
. Store Norske cleared a 1800 by runway for the aircraft. The next flight was done in 1962, followed by one in 1963 and two in 1964. Due to lack of runway lights, flights could only be done during daylight, thus hindering flights during parts of December and January, when the sun never rises. By April, the runway could melt, and no flights could be done during summer. Navigation was conducted using radio signals from Bear Island and Isfjord
.
The first night landing was made on 8 December 1965. The DC-4 took off from the new Tromsø Airport and dropped mail at Bear Island before continuing to Longyearbyen. The runway was lit up using paraffin lamps and lights from cars parked along the runway. A radio transmitter was also installed at Hotellneset. During the 1965–66 season, Braathens SAFE made 16 flights to Svalbard. The following two seasons, the contract was awarded to Scandinavian Airlines System
(SAS), but after that they reverted back to Braathens SAFE. Fred Olsen Air Transport
made its first flight to Svalbard in 1966. By 1969, a total of 50 flights had been made to Svalbard, and by 1972, the 100th was made. By then, Braathens SAFE had started using Douglas DC-6B
aircraft. During these years, Store Norske also installed permanent lights. The first jet plane, a Fokker F-28, landed on 29 April 1972. From 1974, Boeing 737-200C
aircraft were taken into use. It had a side cargo door, allowing easy loading of cargo into the main cabin. Braathens SAFE built a small depot with spare parts and up to 90000 litres (190,204.1 US pt) fuel. Aeroflot
started flights to Adventdalen in 1973 to serve the neighboring Russian community of Barentsburg
.
specifies that no military installations are permitted on the archipelago. The Soviet authorities were concerned that a permanent civilian airport could also be used by Norwegian and NATO forces. But the Soviets also needed an airport to serve their settlements at Barentsburg and Pyramiden
, and by the early 1970s, an understanding was reached between the two countries.
Construction started in 1973. The airport needed to be built on permafrost
. The runway is insulated against the ground, so it will not melt during the summer. The hangar is frozen into the ground, with the pillars being melted into place and then being frozen stuck. The runway was plagued with frost heave due to an incorrect construction method, forcing the airport to regularly have to re-asphalt the runway. In 1989, parts of the runway were re-insulated, giving these areas that previously had been the worst an acceptable solution. In 2006, this measure was conducted on the remaining parts of the runway. An upgrade to the terminal building to allow larger capacity was completed in 2007.
. The first attempt to officially open the airport was made with a SAS Douglas DC-9 on 14 August 1975. Among the guests on board was King Olav V
, but thick fog at Longyearbyen forced the airplane to return. On 1 September, a Fokker F-27 from Braathens SAFE was used to calibrate the runways; on board were pilots from SAS and Aeroflot to learn about the landing conditions. The following day, the second attempt to open the airport was successful. In addition to the scheduled services, Store Norske chartered cargo flights from Fred Olsen Air Transport.
Lufttransport has been at the airport since 1976. In 1984, two Bell 212 helicopters were stationed at the airport on contract with the Governor of Svalbard
. The company signed an agreement with the Norwegian Coast Guard
to have a Partenavia Spartacus planes stationed at Longyearbyen for fishery surveillance. Since 1994, the company has had a Dornier Do 228
stationed at the airport, and two since 2001.
On 14 August 1987, Braathens SAFE re-entered the market, flying in parallel with SAS to Tromsø and Oslo. For the first time, the scheduled flights to Oslo were offered as day flights instead of the night flights offered by SAS. In 2002, after SAS bought Braathens, the subsidiary took over all flights to Longyearbyen for the group. From May 2004, they merged to SAS Braathens
, that again became SAS from 1 June 2007. From 1 April to 1 November 2004, Norwegian Air Shuttle
introduced three weekly services to Longyearbyen to Tromsø and Oslo, using Boeing 737-300
aircraft, but the service was terminated due to low loads. A new service was started on 27 March 2008, with two direct services to Oslo, using larger Boeing 737-800
aircraft., but again the route was terminated later the same year.
The airport is located 1.6 nautical miles (3 km) northwest of Longyearbyen
, the largest settlement on Svalbard. The airport also serves the near-by Russian settlement of Barentsburg
. Although mainland Norway is part of the Schengen Area
, while Svalbard
is excluded, there is no passport control.
There are 200 free outdoor parking spaces at the airport. There are taxis, rental cars and airport coaches available at the airport (a shuttle bus operates to hotels and guesthouses in Longyearbyen and Nybyen
). Scandinavian Airlines provides handling services through SAS Ground Services
.
The runway is 2323 metres (7,621.4 ft) long and aligned 10/28 (roughly east–west), equipped with instrument landing system
, but there are no taxiways. The 45 metres (147.6 ft) wide runway has two culverts that allow water from the mountain Platåberget to drain under it. About one third of the runway is dug into the terrain, while about two-thirds is built on an embankment. A layer of frost-stable fill, varying from 1 to 4 m (3.3 to 13.1 ) is under the runway to hinder the soil from unfreezing during summer.
aircraft and 15 employees. The airline flies two weekly trips to Ny-Ålesund Airport, Hamnerabben on behalf of Kings Bay with research personnel and about thirty trips per week to Svea Airport
on behalf of Store Norske Spitsbergen Kullkompani with mining personnel. These routes involve transport of 21,000 passengers and 500 tonnes of cargo per year. On behalf of the Norwegian Coast Guard
, Lufttransport flies about 400 hours annual of aerial surveillance. Scandinavian Airlines flies six times a week to Tromsø Airport and onwards to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
. The Barentsburg mine has a Mi-8
helicopter used for travel to and from the Longyearbyn airport and more.
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
in 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...
. It is located 1.6 nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s (3 km) northwest of Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of Svalbard, Norway. It is located on the western coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, on the southern side on Adventfjorden , which continues inland with Adventdalen...
, and it is the northernmost airport in the world with public scheduled flights. The first airport near Longyearbyen was constructed during World War II. In 1959, it was first taken into use for occasional flights, but could only be used a few months a year. Construction of the new airport at Hotellneset started in 1973, and the airport was opened on 2 September 1975. 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...
.
In 2009, the airport had 138,934 passengers. Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
operates daily flights to Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
and 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...
on mainland Norway. Lufttransport
Lufttransport
Lufttransport is a Norwegian helicopter and fixed-wing airline that operates primarily air ambulance helicopters and planes for the Norwegian and Swedish governments...
provides services to the two other airports on Svalbard: Ny-Ålesund and Svea
Svea Airport
Svea Airport , is an airport that services the mining community of Sveagruva on the Norwegian overseas territory of Svalbard. The airport is owned, operated and used by the mining company Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani to transport personnel to Svalbard Airport, Longyear at Longyearbyen...
, using Dornier Do 228
Dornier Do 228
The Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop STOL utility aircraft, manufactured by Dornier GmbH from 1981 until 1998. In 1983, Hindustan Aeronautics bought a production licence and manufactures the 228 for the Asian market sphere. Approximately 270 Do 228 were built at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany and...
turboprop aircraft. There are also regular charter flights.
Adventdalen
The first air strip on Svalbard was constructed in AdventdalenAdventdalen
Adventdalen is a long valley that follows Adventdalselva on the island Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. The valley and the river flow into Adventfjorden and further into Isfjorden....
, near Longyearbyen, by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
during World War II. This was not used after the war; during the summer the archipelago was served by ships, but was completely isolated from November to May. In the early 1950s, the Norwegian Air Force started postal flights using a Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
aircraft that departed from Tromsø and dropped postal parcels at Bear Island and at Longyearbyen. However, these aircraft never landed until 9 February 1959, when a resident had become seriously ill, and needed to be flown to mainland Norway for treatment. The mining company Store Norske Spitsbergen Kullkompani cleared the runway at Adventsdalen and the 14-hour flight and landing was successful. A second landing, this time for delivery of post, was made on 11 March.
While the Catalina was suitable for postal flights, it was not suitable for a permanent solution for transporting passengers and freight, mainly due to its small size. Store Norske contacted the domestic airline Braathens SAFE
Braathens
Braathens ASA, until 1997 Braathens South American & Far East Airtransport A/S and trading as Braathens SAFE, is a former Norwegian airline that operated from 1946 until it merged with Scandinavian Airlines Norway to become SAS Braathens in 2004. The airline was based in Oslo, first at Fornebu,...
for a regular service. The first trial flight was made on 2 April 1959 with a Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC-4
The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
with 54 passengers from Bardufoss Airport
Bardufoss Airport
Bardufoss Airport is situated at Bardufoss in the municipality of Målselv in Troms, North Norway. The airport is primarily military, but also serves a few civilian flights...
. Store Norske cleared a 1800 by runway for the aircraft. The next flight was done in 1962, followed by one in 1963 and two in 1964. Due to lack of runway lights, flights could only be done during daylight, thus hindering flights during parts of December and January, when the sun never rises. By April, the runway could melt, and no flights could be done during summer. Navigation was conducted using radio signals from Bear Island and Isfjord
Isfjord (Svalbard)
Isfjorden is the second longest fjord in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. It lies on the west side of Spitsbergen, an island in the Arctic Ocean about midway between Norway and the North Pole, and the largest in the archipelago. A portion of Isfjorden is included in the national parks of...
.
The first night landing was made on 8 December 1965. The DC-4 took off from the new Tromsø Airport and dropped mail at Bear Island before continuing to Longyearbyen. The runway was lit up using paraffin lamps and lights from cars parked along the runway. A radio transmitter was also installed at Hotellneset. During the 1965–66 season, Braathens SAFE made 16 flights to Svalbard. The following two seasons, the contract was awarded to Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
(SAS), but after that they reverted back to Braathens SAFE. Fred Olsen Air Transport
Fred Olsen Air Transport
Fred Olsen Air Transport was based in Norway and operated between 1946 and 1997.-Company history:The airline was set up in June 1946 as a subsidiary of Fred. Olsen & Co.. Initially, freight and passenger charter flights were conducted using Douglas DC-3, frequently carrying ships crews...
made its first flight to Svalbard in 1966. By 1969, a total of 50 flights had been made to Svalbard, and by 1972, the 100th was made. By then, Braathens SAFE had started using Douglas DC-6B
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
aircraft. During these years, Store Norske also installed permanent lights. The first jet plane, a Fokker F-28, landed on 29 April 1972. From 1974, Boeing 737-200C
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft were taken into use. It had a side cargo door, allowing easy loading of cargo into the main cabin. Braathens SAFE built a small depot with spare parts and up to 90000 litres (190,204.1 US pt) fuel. Aeroflot
Aeroflot
OJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
started flights to Adventdalen in 1973 to serve the neighboring Russian community of Barentsburg
Barentsburg
Barentsburg is the second largest settlement on Svalbard, with about 500 inhabitants , almost entirely Russians and Ukrainians. The Russian-owned Arktikugol has been mining coal here since 1932.-Status:...
.
Hotellneset
The Svalbard TreatySvalbard Treaty
The Treaty between Norway, The United States of America, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Ireland and the British overseas Dominions and Sweden concerning Spitsbergen signed in Paris 9th February 1920, commonly called the Svalbard Treaty or the Spitsbergen Treaty...
specifies that no military installations are permitted on the archipelago. The Soviet authorities were concerned that a permanent civilian airport could also be used by Norwegian and NATO forces. But the Soviets also needed an airport to serve their settlements at Barentsburg and Pyramiden
Pyramiden
Pyramiden is an abandoned Russian settlement and coal mining community on the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. It was founded by Sweden in 1910 and sold to the Soviet Union in 1927...
, and by the early 1970s, an understanding was reached between the two countries.
Construction started in 1973. The airport needed to be built on permafrost
Permafrost
In geology, permafrost, cryotic soil or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years. Ice is not always present, as may be in the case of nonporous bedrock, but it frequently occurs and it may be in amounts exceeding the potential hydraulic saturation of...
. The runway is insulated against the ground, so it will not melt during the summer. The hangar is frozen into the ground, with the pillars being melted into place and then being frozen stuck. The runway was plagued with frost heave due to an incorrect construction method, forcing the airport to regularly have to re-asphalt the runway. In 1989, parts of the runway were re-insulated, giving these areas that previously had been the worst an acceptable solution. In 2006, this measure was conducted on the remaining parts of the runway. An upgrade to the terminal building to allow larger capacity was completed in 2007.
Services
Both Braathens SAFE and SAS applied for the concession to fly from the mainland to Norway. This was granted to SAS, who would have one weekly service. From the airport was taken into use until the official opening, Braathens SAFE continued to fly charter flights for Store Norske. The first landing at the new airport was made on 14 September 1974 with a Fokker F-28, and Braathens SAFE continued to fly until 1 September 1975. Russian authorities granted a concession for a semi-weekly service by Aeroflot from Murmansk AirportMurmansk Airport
Murmansk Airport is the international airport of Murmansk, Russia. It is located near the town of Murmashi in Murmansk's southern suburbs, 24 km outside the citycentre....
. The first attempt to officially open the airport was made with a SAS Douglas DC-9 on 14 August 1975. Among the guests on board was King Olav V
Olav V of Norway
Olav V was the king of Norway from 1957 until his death. A member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Olav was born in the United Kingdom as the son of King Haakon VII of Norway and Queen Maud of Norway...
, but thick fog at Longyearbyen forced the airplane to return. On 1 September, a Fokker F-27 from Braathens SAFE was used to calibrate the runways; on board were pilots from SAS and Aeroflot to learn about the landing conditions. The following day, the second attempt to open the airport was successful. In addition to the scheduled services, Store Norske chartered cargo flights from Fred Olsen Air Transport.
Lufttransport has been at the airport since 1976. In 1984, two Bell 212 helicopters were stationed at the airport on contract with the Governor of Svalbard
Governor of Svalbard
The Governor of Svalbard represents the Norwegian government in exercising its sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago .The position reports to the Norwegian Ministry of Justice, but it maintains all Norwegian interests in the area, including environmental protection, law enforcement,...
. The company signed an agreement with the Norwegian Coast Guard
Norwegian Coast Guard
The Norwegian Coast Guard, or Kystvakten in Norwegian, is a military force and part of the Royal Norwegian Navy, but has separate vessels, many of which are purpose-built. All coast guard vessels have the prefix KV. Four of these vessels are capable of embarking one or more helicopters...
to have a Partenavia Spartacus planes stationed at Longyearbyen for fishery surveillance. Since 1994, the company has had a Dornier Do 228
Dornier Do 228
The Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop STOL utility aircraft, manufactured by Dornier GmbH from 1981 until 1998. In 1983, Hindustan Aeronautics bought a production licence and manufactures the 228 for the Asian market sphere. Approximately 270 Do 228 were built at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany and...
stationed at the airport, and two since 2001.
On 14 August 1987, Braathens SAFE re-entered the market, flying in parallel with SAS to Tromsø and Oslo. For the first time, the scheduled flights to Oslo were offered as day flights instead of the night flights offered by SAS. In 2002, after SAS bought Braathens, the subsidiary took over all flights to Longyearbyen for the group. From May 2004, they merged to SAS Braathens
SAS Braathens
SAS Braathens was the name of Norway's largest airline, created by a merger between Scandinavian Airlines' Norwegian division and Braathens in 2004. On June 1, 2007, the airline was integrated into mainline SAS, and changed its name to SAS Scandinavian Airlines Norge...
, that again became SAS from 1 June 2007. From 1 April to 1 November 2004, Norwegian Air Shuttle
Norwegian Air Shuttle
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA , trading as Norwegian, is the second-largest airline in Scandinavia. In 2010, it transported 13.0 million people. As of October 2011, Norwegian operates a total fleet of 62 aircraft; 17 Boeing 737-300s and 45 Boeing 737-800s...
introduced three weekly services to Longyearbyen to Tromsø and Oslo, using Boeing 737-300
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
aircraft, but the service was terminated due to low loads. A new service was started on 27 March 2008, with two direct services to Oslo, using larger Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737 Next Generation
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners...
aircraft., but again the route was terminated later the same year.
Facilities
Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of Svalbard, Norway. It is located on the western coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, on the southern side on Adventfjorden , which continues inland with Adventdalen...
, the largest settlement on Svalbard. The airport also serves the near-by Russian settlement of Barentsburg
Barentsburg
Barentsburg is the second largest settlement on Svalbard, with about 500 inhabitants , almost entirely Russians and Ukrainians. The Russian-owned Arktikugol has been mining coal here since 1932.-Status:...
. Although mainland Norway is part of the Schengen Area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
, while Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
is excluded, there is no passport control.
There are 200 free outdoor parking spaces at the airport. There are taxis, rental cars and airport coaches available at the airport (a shuttle bus operates to hotels and guesthouses in Longyearbyen and Nybyen
Nybyen
Nybyen is a small settlement located on the southern outskirts of Longyearbyen, on the island of Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago of Norway. The name is Norwegian and translates as New Town.-History and features:...
). Scandinavian Airlines provides handling services through SAS Ground Services
SAS Ground Services
SAS Ground Handling is Europe's third largest full-service provider of aircraft ground handling and airport related services. SAS Ground Handling is the largest ground handling company in Scandinavia....
.
The runway is 2323 metres (7,621.4 ft) long and aligned 10/28 (roughly east–west), equipped with instrument landing system
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
, but there are no taxiways. The 45 metres (147.6 ft) wide runway has two culverts that allow water from the mountain Platåberget to drain under it. About one third of the runway is dug into the terrain, while about two-thirds is built on an embankment. A layer of frost-stable fill, varying from 1 to 4 m (3.3 to 13.1 ) is under the runway to hinder the soil from unfreezing during summer.
Airlines and destinations
Lufttransport has a base at Svalbard Airport with two 19-seat Dornier Do 228-202KDornier Do 228
The Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop STOL utility aircraft, manufactured by Dornier GmbH from 1981 until 1998. In 1983, Hindustan Aeronautics bought a production licence and manufactures the 228 for the Asian market sphere. Approximately 270 Do 228 were built at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany and...
aircraft and 15 employees. The airline flies two weekly trips to Ny-Ålesund Airport, Hamnerabben on behalf of Kings Bay with research personnel and about thirty trips per week to Svea Airport
Svea Airport
Svea Airport , is an airport that services the mining community of Sveagruva on the Norwegian overseas territory of Svalbard. The airport is owned, operated and used by the mining company Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani to transport personnel to Svalbard Airport, Longyear at Longyearbyen...
on behalf of Store Norske Spitsbergen Kullkompani with mining personnel. These routes involve transport of 21,000 passengers and 500 tonnes of cargo per year. On behalf of the Norwegian Coast Guard
Norwegian Coast Guard
The Norwegian Coast Guard, or Kystvakten in Norwegian, is a military force and part of the Royal Norwegian Navy, but has separate vessels, many of which are purpose-built. All coast guard vessels have the prefix KV. Four of these vessels are capable of embarking one or more helicopters...
, Lufttransport flies about 400 hours annual of aerial surveillance. Scandinavian Airlines flies six times a week to Tromsø Airport and onwards to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
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...
. The Barentsburg mine has a Mi-8
MI-8
MI-8 may refer to:* MI8, the WWII British signals intelligence agency* Mil Mi-8, the Soviet-designed helicopter* Mitten im 8en, an Austrian TV soap/comedy series* Black Chamber, the United States' first peacetime cryptanalytic organization...
helicopter used for travel to and from the Longyearbyn airport and more.
Accidents and incidents
- On 10 October 1986, a Cessna 185Cessna 185-Specification for differing configurations:-References:* Jan Churchill, Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia, Sunflower University Press, Manhattan KS, ISBN 0-89745-215-1...
from Antarctax crashed immediately after leaving Svalbard Airport on route to Ny-Ålesund, killing all six on board. - On 29 August 1996, Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2801Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2801Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2801 was an international charter flight that, on 29 August 1996 at 10:22:23 Central European Summer Time, crashed in Operafjellet, Svalbard, Norway. All 141 people aboard the Tupolev Tu-154M were killed during the approach to Svalbard Airport, Longyear, making it the...
from Vnukovo Airport, MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, crashed into a mountain about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from the airport. All 141 people on board the Tupolev Tu-154MTupolev Tu-154The Tupolev Tu-154 is a three-engine medium-range narrow-body airliner designed in the mid 1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. As the mainstay 'workhorse' of Soviet and Russian airlines for several decades, it serviced over a sixth of the world's landmass and carried half of all passengers flown...
died. It is the worst air crash in Norwegian history.