Værnes Air Station
Encyclopedia
Værnes Air Station is an air station
of the Royal Norwegian Air Force
located in Stjørdal
, Norway
. It is co-located with Trondheim Airport, Værnes
, which is owned and operated by Avinor
. As an air station, the aerodrome is primarily used for the Marine Corps Preposition Program Norway, which involves the United States armed forces
stationing equipment at Værnes. The military installations contain place for up to six aircraft of the size of a C-5 Galaxy
and barracks to house 1,200 soldiers. It also serves the Home Guard, including its training center and the headquarters of the Trøndelag District (HV-12). Formerly, the air force' pilot school was located at Værnes.
. There are no aircraft permanently stationed at Værnes, but the station serves the Home Guard, including its training center and the headquarters of the Trøndelag District (HV-12). Most of the military installations are located on the north side of the runway, although some are also located on the south side, to the east of the civilian terminal. Værnes also serves as a storage base for theUnited States armed forces as part of the Marine Corps Preposition Program Norway. The military owns the runways and taxiways, but these are operated by Avinor. Three to four hundred military aircraft are handled at the air station each year. The military installations contain place for up to six aircraft of the size of aC-5 Galaxy and barracks to house 1,200 soldiers. The Ring Road connects the northern to the southern installations and passes past the main runway on the east side.
The main runway is 2759 metres (9,051.8 ft) long, and runs east–west at 09/27. It is 45 metres (147.6 ft) wide, plus shoulders of 7.5 metres (24.6 ft) on each side. The runway is equipped with instrument landing system
category 1. The main radar, a combined primary and secondary, is placed at Vennafjell, 9 NM south of the airport. Other radars are located at Kopparen, Tronfjell and Gråkallen. The taxiway
runs the parallel the full length of the main runway. It is 23 metres (75.5 ft) wide, with 7.5 metres (24.6 ft) wide shoulders on each side. The center-distance between the runway and taxiway is 184 metres (603.7 ft), allowing simultaneous use by code E aircraft (such as a Boeing 747
). Værnes has a theoretical capacity of 40 air movements per hour, with a registered capacity of 25.
The airport also has a diagonal runway, which runs 14/32, roughly northwest–southeast. It is 1035 metres (3,395.7 ft) long, plus end section of 293 metres (961.3 ft) on Runway 14 and 126 metres (413.4 ft) on Runway 32. The runway is closed for traffic, in part because of bad asphalt quality.
. After the Viking Age
, the farm at Værnes was taken over by the king and became the seat of the vogt
. From 1671, the farm was owned by a series of military officers and public servants. In 1887, the farm was bought by the Royal Norwegian Army and converted to a camp. The first aircraft to use Værnes was a military Farman MF.7 Longhorn, which took off on 26 March 1914. It was part of the plan to establish the Norwegian Army Air Service
, for which Værnes was chosen as the initial station for Central Norway. Radio equipment was installed in 1919 and the first hangar was built in 1920. By 1922 the grass field serving as runway has become insufficient for newer planes, both in terms of length and level, but this was not performed until 1925. In 1927, parliament passed legislation to move the division to Rinnleiret
from 1930, but this was later annulled. With the delivery of Fokker
aircraft in 1930, the runway was again upgraded and extended.
Værnes was surrendered to Luftwaffe
on 9 April 1940, during the German occupation of Norway. On 24 April, 350 civilians started construction at Værnes, and within a few days 2,000 people were hired. On 28 April, a new 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) wooden runway was completed. The expansion was part of the plans for Festung Norwegen
and was used as a bomber base for attacks on Northern Norway, and by May there were 200 aircraft stationed at Værnes. During the war, particularly in April 1940, the airport was subject to several bombings from the Royal Air Force
. In June, work was started to clear the forests near the airport, and graves from the Viking Age were found. Construction was halted for several weeks while German and Norwegian archaeologists conducted research. In July, work started on building concrete runways, and by 1942 all three runways were finished. The east–west was made 1620 metres (5,315 ft) long, the north–south was made 1300 metres (4,265.1 ft) while the northwest–southeast was made 1275 metres (4,183.1 ft) long. A number of taxiways were also constructed. A branch line of the railway was built to the hangars. By 1945, Luftwaffe had built about 100 buildings at Værnes. The land expropriated was estimated at between 1.6 and 3 km² (0.617763453748056 and 1.2 ). The Germans had also finished the control tower that had been under construction in 1940.
After the war ended, the airport was initial taken over by the Royal Air Force
, but they soon withdrew leaving the Norwegian military in charge. Numerous squadrons, including 332
, 331
and 337 were stationed at Værnes in the post-war years. In 1952 the pilot school was moved to Værnes, but in 1954 Ørland Main Air Station became the main air force base in Central Norway, and the majority of the armed air forces (with the exception of the school) moved to Ørland.
After World War II, there was only general aviation
at Værnes, organized by Værnes flyklubb and NTH
flyklubb. From 1 August 1946 to 31 July 1947, there were 1,221 take-offs from Værnes, mostly during the summer. During parts of 1946 and 1947, the airport was used as a pasture
for sheep. The first scheduled service was introduced with a Douglas DC-3
operated to Oslo by DNL during the winter of 19467–48. While there were many customers initially, the lack of sufficient de-icing caused low regularity and fewer customers through the season. The route was not reopened the following year.
The air traffic control at Værnes was established in 1946, after the air force had sent personnel to the United Kingdom for training. The Telecommunications Administration
took over the responsibility for the radio installations, and the responsibility for the meteorological services became the responsibility of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute
. Trondheim Air Traffic Control Center was also established to monitor all air space over Central Norway. In 1955, a glass dome was built on to of the control tower, giving a much better view of the air field.
Prior to World War II, Heimdal
south of Trondheim had been proposed as a location for the primary airport for Trondheim. Construction had started with drainage and ground works, but this work was interrupted by the war. Because of the large investments made in Værnes by Luftwaffe, a commission was established in 1947 to look into if Værnes or Lade instead should be selected. The commission was unianimous in recommending Værnes, highlighting that the airport was of a sufficient size to handle all civilian and military needs in the foreseeable future, and emphasized the proximity to the railway and highway. However, the commission recommended that Heimdal and Lade be kept as possibilities for future expansion. When the issue was discussed in parliament, several members of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications
complained about the long distance to Trondheim, but the low investment needs (stipulated to NOK 1.3 million for necessary navigation and air control investments) convinced parliament, who passed legislation in favor of Værnes on 10 June 1952.
In 1956, NATO approved the plans for Værnes to be financed through its infrastructure investment plan, after rejecting proposals for Heimdal. The costs were estimated at NOK 27.4 million and would allow the runway to be extended to support jet aircraft
. Such an extension had already been done at Ørland Main Air Station
, but NATO wanted to have two military air station of such dimensions in Central Norway. The east–west runway was to be extended to 2400 metres (7,874 ft); initial proposals had called for the extension to occur on the east side, but the Ministry of Defence instead wanted the expansion of the fjord side to reduce expropriation
costs. This called for a complex civil engineering program, as the railway and highway would have to pass under the runway in tunnels and an artificial island
would have to be built in the fjord.
In 1957, parliament started a new process to consider Heimdal as the primary airport, in part because the airlines and the Civil Aviation Administration stated that they felt Værnes was insufficient. However, higher costs—due to bad ground conditions and existing infrastructure at Værnes, valuated at NOK 150 million—caused parliament to support Værnes. Construction commenced in January 1959, with the work subcontracted to Selmer. First the artificial peninsula was built, then the delta of the Stjørdal River was moved, before a tunnel was built around the highway and railway. Finally, the runway could be built on top, and construction completed on 21 October 1961. In 1963, the airport had 115,000 passengers, increasing to 195,000 the following year. That year, SAS started using the Sud Aviation Caravelle
jet aircraft on their route.
airport
which shares runways, taxiways, air control and other joint functions with Værnes Air Station. Operated by the state-owned Avinor
. In 2009, the airport had 3,424,965 passengers and 54,686 air movements, making it the fourth-busiest in the country. The airport has two terminals; A dates from 1994 and is used for domestic traffic, while B is the renovated former main terminal from 1982, and is used for international traffic. The airport features an integrated train station
and an airport hotel.
The main airlines at the airport are Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Norwegian Air Shuttle
and Widerøe
, all who have Værnes as a focus city
. The main route is the service to Oslo
, operated by both SAS and Norwegian, which is the tenth-busiest route in Europe. Both airlines operate services using Boeing 737
aircraft to Bergen
, Bodø
and Tromsø
; SAS has some additional domestic services while Norwegian has a number of low-frequency international services. Widerøe operates regional Dash 8 aircraft to six airports in Helgeland
, in addition to their hub
in Sandefjord
and SAS' hub in Copenhagen
. Daily international services to Amsterdam
is provided by KLM and to Östersund
and Stockholm
by Nextjet
; Icelandair
will commence services to their hub at Reykjavík
from June 2010. The airport also serves charter services, mainly to the Mediterranean.
Air station
Air station may refer to:* AirStation is the name given to a series of wireless LAN equipment sold by Buffalo Technology* Airbase* Naval air station* A station to refill an air car....
of the Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
located in Stjørdal
Stjørdal
is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Stjørdal, also called Stjørdalshalsen...
, 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 co-located with Trondheim Airport, Værnes
Trondheim Airport, Værnes
Trondheim Airport, Værnes is an international airport located in Stjørdal, east of Trondheim, Norway. Operated by the state-owned Avinor, it shares facilities with Værnes Air Station of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. In 2010, the airport had 3,521,734 passengers and 55,747 air movements,...
, which is owned and operated by 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...
. As an air station, the aerodrome is primarily used for the Marine Corps Preposition Program Norway, which involves the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
stationing equipment at Værnes. The military installations contain place for up to six aircraft of the size of a C-5 Galaxy
C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
and barracks to house 1,200 soldiers. It also serves the Home Guard, including its training center and the headquarters of the Trøndelag District (HV-12). Formerly, the air force' pilot school was located at Værnes.
Facilities
Værnes Air Station is the one of two air stations in Central Norway, the other being Ørland Main Air StationØrland Main Air Station
Ørland Main Air Station is situated at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord in the municipality of Ørland, in the center of Norway. Ørland is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and is an important air base not only for Norway, but also for NATO...
. There are no aircraft permanently stationed at Værnes, but the station serves the Home Guard, including its training center and the headquarters of the Trøndelag District (HV-12). Most of the military installations are located on the north side of the runway, although some are also located on the south side, to the east of the civilian terminal. Værnes also serves as a storage base for theUnited States armed forces as part of the Marine Corps Preposition Program Norway. The military owns the runways and taxiways, but these are operated by Avinor. Three to four hundred military aircraft are handled at the air station each year. The military installations contain place for up to six aircraft of the size of aC-5 Galaxy and barracks to house 1,200 soldiers. The Ring Road connects the northern to the southern installations and passes past the main runway on the east side.
The main runway is 2759 metres (9,051.8 ft) long, and runs east–west at 09/27. It is 45 metres (147.6 ft) wide, plus shoulders of 7.5 metres (24.6 ft) on each side. The runway is 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...
category 1. The main radar, a combined primary and secondary, is placed at Vennafjell, 9 NM south of the airport. Other radars are located at Kopparen, Tronfjell and Gråkallen. The 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....
runs the parallel the full length of the main runway. It is 23 metres (75.5 ft) wide, with 7.5 metres (24.6 ft) wide shoulders on each side. The center-distance between the runway and taxiway is 184 metres (603.7 ft), allowing simultaneous use by code E aircraft (such as a Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
). Værnes has a theoretical capacity of 40 air movements per hour, with a registered capacity of 25.
The airport also has a diagonal runway, which runs 14/32, roughly northwest–southeast. It is 1035 metres (3,395.7 ft) long, plus end section of 293 metres (961.3 ft) on Runway 14 and 126 metres (413.4 ft) on Runway 32. The runway is closed for traffic, in part because of bad asphalt quality.
History
Værnes is first recorded in the 10th century as the seat for one of eight chieftains of Trøndelag. The first military activity in the area was as a base for leidangLeidang
The institution known as leiðangr , leidang , leding, , ledung , expeditio or sometimes lething , was a public levy of free farmers typical for medieval Scandinavians. It was a form of conscription to organise coastal fleets for seasonal excursions and in defence of the realm...
. After the Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
, the farm at Værnes was taken over by the king and became the seat of the vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
. From 1671, the farm was owned by a series of military officers and public servants. In 1887, the farm was bought by the Royal Norwegian Army and converted to a camp. The first aircraft to use Værnes was a military Farman MF.7 Longhorn, which took off on 26 March 1914. It was part of the plan to establish the Norwegian Army Air Service
Norwegian Army Air Service
The Norwegian Army Air Service ' was established in 1914. Its main base and aircraft factory was at Kjeller. On 10 November 1944 the NoAAS was joined with the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service to form the Royal Norwegian Air Force....
, for which Værnes was chosen as the initial station for Central Norway. Radio equipment was installed in 1919 and the first hangar was built in 1920. By 1922 the grass field serving as runway has become insufficient for newer planes, both in terms of length and level, but this was not performed until 1925. In 1927, parliament passed legislation to move the division to Rinnleiret
Rinnleiret
Rinnleiret is an area on the border of the municipalities of Levanger and Verdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is partially a nature reserve and it contains Nord-Trøndelag's largest beach. Also located in the area is a former Royal Norwegian Army camp that was closed in 2002 and a...
from 1930, but this was later annulled. With the delivery of Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
aircraft in 1930, the runway was again upgraded and extended.
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....
on 9 April 1940, during the German occupation of Norway. On 24 April, 350 civilians started construction at Værnes, and within a few days 2,000 people were hired. On 28 April, a new 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) wooden runway was completed. The expansion was part of the plans for Festung Norwegen
Festung Norwegen
Festung Norwegen was the German term for the heavy defense and fortification system of Norway during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany in World War II...
and was used as a bomber base for attacks on Northern Norway, and by May there were 200 aircraft stationed at Værnes. During the war, particularly in April 1940, the airport was subject to several bombings from the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. In June, work was started to clear the forests near the airport, and graves from the Viking Age were found. Construction was halted for several weeks while German and Norwegian archaeologists conducted research. In July, work started on building concrete runways, and by 1942 all three runways were finished. The east–west was made 1620 metres (5,315 ft) long, the north–south was made 1300 metres (4,265.1 ft) while the northwest–southeast was made 1275 metres (4,183.1 ft) long. A number of taxiways were also constructed. A branch line of the railway was built to the hangars. By 1945, Luftwaffe had built about 100 buildings at Værnes. The land expropriated was estimated at between 1.6 and 3 km² (0.617763453748056 and 1.2 ). The Germans had also finished the control tower that had been under construction in 1940.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, but they soon withdrew leaving the Norwegian military in charge. Numerous squadrons, including 332
No. 332 Squadron RAF
-Notable pilots:*Sgt Per Bergsland *Sgt Carl Sejersted Bødtker *Sgt Jan Staubo*Cpt Finn Thorsager*Lt Soren Kjell Liby*Lt Marius Eriksen*Gunnar Piltingsrud*Fnr Ola Gert Aanjesen*Maj Reidar Emil From-Bibliography:...
, 331
No. 331 Squadron RAF
In honour of the achievements of the World War II squadrons, the RNoAF has maintained RAF squadron names, including a 331st Fighter Squadron, now flying F-16s and based at Bodø Main Air Station.-Aircraft operated during RAF service:*1941 Hawker Hurricane I & IIB...
and 337 were stationed at Værnes in the post-war years. In 1952 the pilot school was moved to Værnes, but in 1954 Ørland Main Air Station became the main air force base in Central Norway, and the majority of the armed air forces (with the exception of the school) moved to Ørland.
After World War II, there was only general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
at Værnes, organized by Værnes flyklubb and NTH
Norwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
flyklubb. From 1 August 1946 to 31 July 1947, there were 1,221 take-offs from Værnes, mostly during the summer. During parts of 1946 and 1947, the airport was used as a pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
for sheep. The first scheduled service was introduced with a Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
operated to Oslo by DNL during the winter of 19467–48. While there were many customers initially, the lack of sufficient de-icing caused low regularity and fewer customers through the season. The route was not reopened the following year.
The air traffic control at Værnes was established in 1946, after the air force had sent personnel to the United Kingdom for training. The Telecommunications Administration
Telenor
Telenor Group is the incumbent telecommunications company in Norway, with headquarters located at Fornebu, close to Oslo. Today, Telenor Group is mostly an international wireless carrier with operations in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Asia, working predominantly under the Telenor brand...
took over the responsibility for the radio installations, and the responsibility for the meteorological services became the responsibility of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Norwegian Meteorological Institute is the Norwegian national institute for weather forecasts.The three main offices are located in Oslo, Bergen and Tromsø. The Institute has around 500 employees and keeps around 650 paid observers of various kinds around the country...
. Trondheim Air Traffic Control Center was also established to monitor all air space over Central Norway. In 1955, a glass dome was built on to of the control tower, giving a much better view of the air field.
Prior to World War II, Heimdal
Heimdal
Heimdal is the southernmost borough in Trondheim, Norway named after the god Heimdall in Norse mythology. The area has been continuously inhabited since at least the Iron Age, and is rich in archaeological sites....
south of Trondheim had been proposed as a location for the primary airport for Trondheim. Construction had started with drainage and ground works, but this work was interrupted by the war. Because of the large investments made in Værnes by Luftwaffe, a commission was established in 1947 to look into if Værnes or Lade instead should be selected. The commission was unianimous in recommending Værnes, highlighting that the airport was of a sufficient size to handle all civilian and military needs in the foreseeable future, and emphasized the proximity to the railway and highway. However, the commission recommended that Heimdal and Lade be kept as possibilities for future expansion. When the issue was discussed in parliament, several members of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications
Standing Committee on Transport and Communications
The Standing Committee on Transport and Communications is a standing committee of the Parliament of Norway. It is responsible for policies relating to transport, postal services, telecommunications, electronic communication and the responsibilities of the Norwegian National Coastal Administration...
complained about the long distance to Trondheim, but the low investment needs (stipulated to NOK 1.3 million for necessary navigation and air control investments) convinced parliament, who passed legislation in favor of Værnes on 10 June 1952.
In 1956, NATO approved the plans for Værnes to be financed through its infrastructure investment plan, after rejecting proposals for Heimdal. The costs were estimated at NOK 27.4 million and would allow the runway to be extended to support jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
. Such an extension had already been done at Ørland Main Air Station
Ørland Main Air Station
Ørland Main Air Station is situated at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord in the municipality of Ørland, in the center of Norway. Ørland is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and is an important air base not only for Norway, but also for NATO...
, but NATO wanted to have two military air station of such dimensions in Central Norway. The east–west runway was to be extended to 2400 metres (7,874 ft); initial proposals had called for the extension to occur on the east side, but the Ministry of Defence instead wanted the expansion of the fjord side to reduce expropriation
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
costs. This called for a complex civil engineering program, as the railway and highway would have to pass under the runway in tunnels and an artificial island
Artificial island
An artificial island or man-made island is an island or archipelago that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means...
would have to be built in the fjord.
In 1957, parliament started a new process to consider Heimdal as the primary airport, in part because the airlines and the Civil Aviation Administration stated that they felt Værnes was insufficient. However, higher costs—due to bad ground conditions and existing infrastructure at Værnes, valuated at NOK 150 million—caused parliament to support Værnes. Construction commenced in January 1959, with the work subcontracted to Selmer. First the artificial peninsula was built, then the delta of the Stjørdal River was moved, before a tunnel was built around the highway and railway. Finally, the runway could be built on top, and construction completed on 21 October 1961. In 1963, the airport had 115,000 passengers, increasing to 195,000 the following year. That year, SAS started using the Sud Aviation Caravelle
Sud Aviation Caravelle
The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle was the first short/medium-range jet airliner produced by the French Sud Aviation firm starting in 1955 . The Caravelle was one of the more successful European first generation jetliners, selling throughout Europe and even penetrating the United States market, with...
jet aircraft on their route.
Civilian
Trondheim Airport, Værnes is an international airportInternational airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
which shares runways, taxiways, air control and other joint functions with Værnes Air Station. Operated by the 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 3,424,965 passengers and 54,686 air movements, making it the fourth-busiest in the country. The airport has two terminals; A dates from 1994 and is used for domestic traffic, while B is the renovated former main terminal from 1982, and is used for international traffic. The airport features an integrated train station
Trondheim Airport Station
Trondheim Airport Station , also known as Værnes Station , is a railway station located in the terminal of Trondheim Airport, Værnes in Stjørdal, Norway. Situated on the Nordland Line, it serves both express trains and the Trøndelag Commuter Rail both operated by Norges Statsbaner...
and an airport hotel.
The main airlines at the airport are Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), 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...
and 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...
, all who have Værnes as a focus city
Focus city
In the airline industry, a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs...
. The main route is the service to 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...
, operated by both SAS and Norwegian, which is the tenth-busiest route in Europe. Both airlines operate services using Boeing 737
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 to Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
and 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...
; SAS has some additional domestic services while Norwegian has a number of low-frequency international services. Widerøe operates regional Dash 8 aircraft to six airports in Helgeland
Helgeland
Helgeland is the most southerly district in Northern Norway. Generally speaking, Helgeland refers to the part of Nordland county that is located south of the Arctic Circle. The district covers an area of about , with nearly 79,000 inhabitants...
, in addition to their hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
in Sandefjord
Sandefjord
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sandefjord. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838...
and SAS' hub in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. Daily international services to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
is provided by KLM and to Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
and Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
by Nextjet
Nextjet
NextJet is the largest regional airline in Sweden. The company is based in Frösundavik just north of Stockholm.NextJet serve most of their domestic destinations from Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. As of summer 2010 they also serve a lot of domestic destinations from Stockholm-Bromma Airport on the...
; Icelandair
Icelandair
Icelandair ehf is the flag carrier airline of Iceland, based on the grounds of Reykjavík Airport in Reykjavík. It is part of the Icelandair Group and currently operates scheduled services to 31 cities in 13 countries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean out of its hub at Keflavík International Airport...
will commence services to their hub at Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
from June 2010. The airport also serves charter services, mainly to the Mediterranean.