Promoters of a proposed new airport in Norway’s far north may believe that “If you build it, they will come,” but the region’s two leading airlines are giving a cold shoulder to proposals for the new field that would be built at Rana.
The promoters hope to open the airport by 2024, and have gotten local and national governments, along with local merchants, to back it to the tune of about $245 million (2.1 billion krona). Although the location is quite far north, it doesn’t actually meet the name they’ve chosen: Polar Circle Airport Development.
The wrinkle is that the two main carriers, SAS and Norwegian, have stated publicly that they don’t believe the field would generate enough traffic for profitable operations, and they are refusing to promise operating there.
SAS officials have told Scandinavian media that it would be “of no benefit to us…With such a thin volume of traffic, we feel that this development is not right to prioritise.” Norwegian’s communication director pointed out that “All large transport projects have a cost overlap, and we are concerned that a development like this will lead to raised costs for airlines and thereby also higher prices for customers.”
Both airlines have extensive domestic route systems in Scandinavia and operate wide international networks as well. SAS has recently indicated it will follow Norwegian’s lead in establishing new bases in Ireland and the UK to build up its international service and compete better with discount Norwegian.
