Bergen Airport, Flesland
Encyclopedia
Bergen Airport, Flesland is an international airport
located 6.5 NM 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
. Previously the Norwegian Air Force has had operations at this airport.
Seven airlines offer domestic flights to 16 destinations, while 16 airlines offer international flights to 37 destinations. Flesland serves as a focus city
for Norwegian Air Shuttle
, Scandinavian Airlines, Widerøe
and Bergen Air Transport
. Part of the traffic is generated from regional services from Sogn og Fjordane
, operated by Widerøe and Danish Air Transport. The old terminal has been converted to a heliport
, which primarily serves oil platform
s in the North Sea
. The most important services is to Oslo
, which is served by up to 35 daily aircraft, making it the seventh-busiest in Europe. Bergen Airport, Flesland has been voted as Europe
's best airport and the world
's 6th best airport by the British travel magazine Wanderlust Travel Awards.
by the City. In 1952 the authorities decided to build an airport there, and in 1955 it was finished with a runway at 2999 m (9,839.2 ft). The original airport was primarily financed by NATO. A new terminal opened in 1988 and a new tower in 1991.
has decided to use 461 million NOK to upgrade the airport, with among other things extension of the international terminal, better aircraft parking, change to the taxiways, new operational buildings, deicing platform, ground radar, secondary radar and runway center lights.
Halfdan Grieg and was opened in 1988. The same architect also designed the old terminal. The terminal has 11 gates with jetbridges, numbered 21-32 (gate 30 is for airplanes on the apron). The terminal is built so that opening and closing doors can convert gates between domestic and international traffic. However, the gates are generally divided into a domestic and international area, although the boundary can change according to needs.
Gate 21 is at the southeast end of the terminal, the remaining gates are then numbered clockwise around the terminal, finishing with gate 32 at the northeast end.
Gate 24 is the only gate which can serve class E (i.e. wingspan of 52 metre) aircraft such as the Airbus A340 or Boeing 747.
In addition to the parking spaces with jetbridges, there are 11 parking spots for aircraft on the apron.
All passengers travelling on international flight must pass through the duty free shop in order to get to their flight. There is a possibility for some passengers (for example, those allergic to perfume) to ask security to use a narrow corridor which bypasses the shop. Nonetheless, the layout has been criticized by teetotalist
organizations. The airport's response is that the layout was needed due to the terminal's small size. The shop has also been criticized for informing passengers who purchase less than their permitted tax-free quota of alcohol that they are allowed to purchase more. The Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs
indicated that this may violate the ban on alcohol advertising
.
s out to ships, while two are used for maintenance.
In addition to housing the helicopter terminal, the airport accommodates the airport's administration offices. Avinor noted that the old building is somewhat dilapidated with poor ventilation and some leaks.
Notes:
Flights are routed Keflavik - Bergen - Stavanger or Trondheim - Keflavik.
, BH Air
, Japan Airlines
, Pegasus Airlines
, Spanair
, Sunexpress
and TUIfly Nordic
.
and Norsk Helikopter
are operating helicopter flights.
The Bergen Light Rail
is proposed to eventually run to the airport, but this extension is not part of the original line under construction.
of fles f 'skerry
, sunken rock', the last element is land n 'land, farm'.
International 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...
located 6.5 NM southwest of 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 , ....
, 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...
. 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
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...
. Previously the Norwegian Air Force has had operations at this airport.
Seven airlines offer domestic flights to 16 destinations, while 16 airlines offer international flights to 37 destinations. Flesland serves 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...
for 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...
, Scandinavian Airlines, 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...
and Bergen Air Transport
Bergen Air Transport
Bergen Air Transport AS is an airline based at Bergen Airport, Flesland in Norway. In addition to charter aviation and an aviation workshop, it offers a scheduled service between Bergen and Notodden Airport, Tuven. The airline operates two Beechcraft B200 King Air aircraft and one Cessna Citation CJ2...
. Part of the traffic is generated from regional services from Sogn og Fjordane
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
, operated by Widerøe and Danish Air Transport. The old terminal has been converted to a heliport
Heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
, which primarily serves oil platform
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
s in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. The most important services is 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...
, which is served by up to 35 daily aircraft, making it the seventh-busiest in Europe. Bergen Airport, Flesland has been voted as Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's best airport and the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
's 6th best airport by the British travel magazine Wanderlust Travel Awards.
History
The first steps towards an airport at Flesland were taken in 1937 when parts of the farm Flesland were expropriatedEminent 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...
by the City. In 1952 the authorities decided to build an airport there, and in 1955 it was finished with a runway at 2999 m (9,839.2 ft). The original airport was primarily financed by NATO. A new terminal opened in 1988 and a new tower in 1991.
Future plans
AvinorAvinor
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...
has decided to use 461 million NOK to upgrade the airport, with among other things extension of the international terminal, better aircraft parking, change to the taxiways, new operational buildings, deicing platform, ground radar, secondary radar and runway center lights.
Terminal
The current terminal was designed by the local architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Halfdan Grieg and was opened in 1988. The same architect also designed the old terminal. The terminal has 11 gates with jetbridges, numbered 21-32 (gate 30 is for airplanes on the apron). The terminal is built so that opening and closing doors can convert gates between domestic and international traffic. However, the gates are generally divided into a domestic and international area, although the boundary can change according to needs.
Gate 21 is at the southeast end of the terminal, the remaining gates are then numbered clockwise around the terminal, finishing with gate 32 at the northeast end.
- Gates 21 and 22 are used solely for international flights.
- Gates 23 to 27 are used for both international and domestic flights.
- Gates 28 to 32 are used solely for domestic flights.
Gate 24 is the only gate which can serve class E (i.e. wingspan of 52 metre) aircraft such as the Airbus A340 or Boeing 747.
In addition to the parking spaces with jetbridges, there are 11 parking spots for aircraft on the apron.
All passengers travelling on international flight must pass through the duty free shop in order to get to their flight. There is a possibility for some passengers (for example, those allergic to perfume) to ask security to use a narrow corridor which bypasses the shop. Nonetheless, the layout has been criticized by teetotalist
Teetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
organizations. The airport's response is that the layout was needed due to the terminal's small size. The shop has also been criticized for informing passengers who purchase less than their permitted tax-free quota of alcohol that they are allowed to purchase more. The Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs
Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs
The Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs is a specialised directorate for health and social affairs. The Directorate is an integral part of the central administration of health and social affairs in Norway, and is organised under the joint auspices of the Ministry of Health and Care...
indicated that this may violate the ban on alcohol advertising
Alcohol advertising
Alcohol advertising is the promotion of alcoholic beverages by alcohol producers through a variety of media. Along with tobacco advertising, it is one of the most highly-regulated forms of marketing...
.
Helicopter terminal
The old airline terminal built in 1955, located 250 m (820.2 ft) north of the airline terminal, is still used for helicopter traffic, mainly to the North Sea. There were 230,000 helicopter passengers in 2007. There are in all ten parking spots for helicopters, of which seven are used daily for embarkation and disembarkation, one is used to bring maritime pilotMaritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
s out to ships, while two are used for maintenance.
In addition to housing the helicopter terminal, the airport accommodates the airport's administration offices. Avinor noted that the old building is somewhat dilapidated with poor ventilation and some leaks.
Airlines and destinations
Notes:
Flights are routed Keflavik - Bergen - Stavanger or Trondheim - Keflavik.
Charter
There is a wide range of charter flights operated to and from Bergen Airport, most of them to the Mediterranean. Carriers include Air Europa, AtlasjetAtlasjet
Atlasjet Havacılık A.Ş. is an airline based in Florya, Bakırköy district, Istanbul, Turkey, operating domestic and international scheduled passenger services and regular charter flights to Europe, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates, usually out of either Atatürk International Airport,...
, BH Air
BH Air
BH Air Ltd., or Balkan Holidays Airlines, is an airline headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria. It is a branch of tour operator Balkan Holidays International and as such offers charter flights to the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Germany, Israel and Switzerland, as well as ad hoc charters to other...
, Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
, Pegasus Airlines
Pegasus Airlines
Pegasus Airlines is a low-cost airline headquartered in the Halkalı area of Küçükçekmece, Istanbul, Turkey. Formerly a charter airline in partnership with Aer Lingus, Pegasus is now completely controlled by Esas Holding.- History :...
, Spanair
Spanair
Spanair is a Spanish airline, with its head office in the Spanair Building in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona. It was, until 2009, a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines, which now holds slightly under 20% of the company. Spanair provides a scheduled passenger network within Spain and...
, Sunexpress
SunExpress
SunExpress is an airline based in Antalya, Turkey. It operates scheduled and charter flights to destinations in Europe. Its main base is Antalya International Airport .-History:...
and TUIfly Nordic
TUIfly Nordic
TUIfly Nordic AB, formerly known as Britannia Nordic, is a charter airline based in Stockholm, Sweden. The name changed on 1 May 2006. It operates holiday charter flights from airports in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden to fly vacation travelers for the tour operators Star Tour , Fritidsresor ...
.
Heliport
From Bergen heliport, CHC Helikopter ServiceCHC Helikopter Service
CHC Helikopter Service, previously CHC Norway, CHC Helikopter Service and Helikopter Service was the Norwegian division of CHC Helicopter Corporation. The airline was an independent company until 1999...
and Norsk Helikopter
Norsk Helikopter
Bristow Norway AS is a Norwegian helicopter company that transports crew to oil installations in the North Sea. It has headquarters in Stavanger and has additional operations out of Bergen, Brønnøysund, Hammerfest and the oil platform Heidrun...
are operating helicopter flights.
Traffic statistics
| Year | Passengers | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 5,296,325 | + 8,9 % |
| 2009 | 4,862,869 | - 3,5 % |
| 2008 | 5,037,451 | + 3,8 % |
| 2007 | 4,852,740 | + 5,9 % |
| 2006 | 4,358,038 | + 12,8 % |
| 2005 | 3,863,198 |
Busiest domestic passenger air routes
| Destination | Passengers (2007) | Flights every week |
|---|---|---|
| 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... |
1,632,000 | 172 |
| Stavanger Airport, Sola Stavanger Airport, Sola Stavanger Airport, Sola is an international airport located in Sola, Norway, southwest of Stavanger. It is Norway's third-busiest airport, with both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter traffic for the offshore North Sea oil installations... |
1,097,000 | 85 |
| 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,... |
380,000 | 54 |
| Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik is situated northeast of the city Kristiansand, Vest-Agder in southern Norway, located from the city centre. The airport serves the Agder district with domestic and international flights. In 2008 the airport had 915,092 passengers. The airport is operated by Avinor... |
128,000 | 38 |
| Sandefjord Airport, Torp | 125,000 | 39 |
Ground transport
- FlybussenTide (transportation company)Tide ASA is a public transport company in Hordaland, Norway which resulted from the merger of Gaia Trafikk and Hardanger Sunnhordlandske Dampskipsselskap . The company provides the public transit network in the city of Bergen, and most of the bus service in Hordaland...
runs between Bergen city center and Bergen Airport Flesland. - Flybuss Bergen Nord runs a coach bus service between NordhordlandNordhordlandNordhordland is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, consisting of the northern portion of the county of Hordaland. It includes the municipalities Austrheim, Fedje, Lindås, Masfjorden, Meland, Modalen, Osterøy, Radøy and Vaksdal....
and Bergen Airport Flesland. - There are 3,127 parking spaces onsite or within walking distance. A budget car park is 3 minutes away from the airport by using a free shuttle.
- Five car rental companies have about 100 cars stationed at the airport.
- Four taxi companies compete for customers outside the terminal building.
- A minibus service connects the airport to the Flesland quay west of the airport. From here boats bring passengers southwards to Stord, Austevoll, Haugesund, and Stavanger.
The Bergen Light Rail
Bergen Light Rail
Bergen Light Rail is a light rail system in Bergen, Norway. The first stage of the project is a fifteen-station, stretch between the city center and Nesttun, which opened on 22 June 2010...
is proposed to eventually run to the airport, but this extension is not part of the original line under construction.
The name
The airport is named after the old farm Flesland, and the Norse form of the name was probably Flesjaland. The first element is the genitive pluralPlural
In linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
of fles f 'skerry
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
, sunken rock', the last element is land n 'land, farm'.