Trondheim Airport, Værnes
Encyclopedia
Trondheim Airport, Værnes is an international airport
located in Stjørdal
, 10 NM 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 (+2.8%) passengers and 55,747 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 a main east–west 2759 metres (9,051.8 ft) runway, a disused northwest–southeast 1472 metres (4,829.4 ft) runway, 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 also 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
. Krohn Air
provides services to Molde
. Daily international services to Amsterdam
is provided by KLM and to Östersund
and Stockholm-Bromma
by Nextjet
; Icelandair
commenced services to their hub at Reykjavík
in June 2010. In 30 October 2011 Flybe Nordic
, a Finnish joint venture of Flybe
and Finnair
, commenced regular service to Helsinki
. In addition, Lufthansa
offers a weekly seasonal service to Frankfurt and Estonian Air
will start a service to Tallinn
in September. The airport also serves charter services, mainly to the Mediterranean.
Værnes was taken into use by the Royal Norwegian Army in 1887. The first flight was made in 1914, and aerodrome facilities were gradually installed. The first main installations, including three concrete runways, were built during World War II by Luftwaffe
. After the war, the Air Force Pilot School moved to Værnes, although in 1954 most of the other air force activities for Central Norway were moved to Ørland Main Air Station
. Civilian aviation started in 1951, when half a barracks was taken into use as a terminal, with the whole building being utilized from 1958. Jet aircraft started serving Værnes from 1963, and the second terminal opened in 1965. The third (the current international Terminal B) was opened in 1982, and the fourth, Terminal A, was opened in 1994, along with the train station. From 1956 to 2004, Braathens
was one of the largest airlines at the airport.
, with the northern part of the airport bordering the town of Stjørdalshalsen
. To the west, the airport borders the Trondheimsfjord
, and to the south the Stjørdal River. Combining the functions as an international, domestic
and regional airport, it is located 10 NM east of Trondheim. Most of the airport area is owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Defence
, although the civilian facilities and the air traffic control are owned and operated by Avinor, a subsidiary of the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
.
and 7-Eleven
), clothing, crafts and cosmetics; diners, restaurants and pubs; and a 560 square metres (669.8 sq yd) duty free store. The airport also has three automatic teller machines and a Radisson Blu hotel with 180 rooms and 11 conference rooms. Rica
operates another hotel, the 400-room Rica Hell Hotel, within walking distance of the airport. The airport administration is located in Terminal B, while the administration for airlines and handling agents is located in annexes of Terminal A.
The terminal has stands for 18 aircraft, of which five at Terminal A have jetbridges. Two stands (one at each terminal) is size code D (large enough for an airbus A330
or a Boeing 757
), while 11 are for size category C (large enough for an Airbus A320
or Boeing 737
). Fourteen of the stands are large enough for commercial traffic. Domestic jets normally use the five jetbridge stands (gates 31–35), while the four non-bridged gates at Terminal A (gates 36–39) are used for domestic regional aircraft. International flights all use the five non-bridged gates at Terminal B. The Air Force has six stands for military freight planes up to the size of a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (code F), although one is permanently used for deicing
.
(780 square metre), built in 1984 and 1991, a 500 square metres (598 sq yd) hangar belonging to Auticon, a 300 square metres (358.8 sq yd) hangar belonging to Hilmar Tollefsen and two smaller hangars, one of which belongs to Værnes flyklubb. Værnes handles the largest amount of general aviation
in Central Norway, including executive jets.
category 2. 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 Boeing 747
). Værnes has a theoretical capacity of 40 air movements per hour, but this is reduced during bad weather, so the airport has 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. The current control tower
is 55 metres (180.4 ft) tall and dates from 2005.
. 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 the United 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 places for up to six aircraft of the size of a C-5 Galaxy
and barracks to house 1,200 soldiers. The Ring Road connects the northern to the southern installations and passes the main runway on the east side.
aircraft stationed at Værnes. The main route is to its hub, the Norwegian capital of Oslo; additional services are operated to Bergen, Bodø, Stavanger, Tromsø and Ålesund. Internationally, it provides a weekly flight to Alicante
, Spain, and a daily flight to its hubs at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
and Copenhagen Airport
(CPH from November 2011).
Norwegian Air Shuttle is a low-cost airline which has two Boeing 737 aircraft stationed at Værnes. They operates the main domestic services to Oslo, Bergen, Bodø and Tromsø, in addition to Moss Airport, Rygge
, which it markets as Oslo-Rygge. It provides a range of international services, although only with one to three weekly services, to eleven European destinations in seven countries.
Widerøe is a regional airline
subsidiary of SAS. It uses Dash 8 Q400 aircraft to operate to its hub at Sandefjord Airport, Torp, and SAS' hub at Copenhagen Airport
in Denmark. Northwards, Widerøe uses Trondheim Airport as a hub to serve six airports in Nord-Trøndelag
and Helgeland on public service obligation
contracts with the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
.
KLM operates flights to its hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol three times a day by its regional subsidiary KLM Cityhopper
using Embraer 190 aircraft. The airport is also served by numerous charter airlines. Ground handling is provided by Røros Flyservice
, SAS Ground Services
and Spirit Air Cargo Handling.
Notes:
Flights are routed Keflavik - Bergen - Trondheim - Keflavik.
, and has a catchment area
of 310,000 people, including most of Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag
. For international flights, the catchment area is slightly larger, and includes part of Nordmøre
, Helgeland, and Jämtland
in Sweden. In 2009, Trondheim Airport served 3,424,965 passengers, 6207 tonnes (6,109 LT) of cargo and 54,686 aircraft movements, down from 2008. Værnes ranks fourth in Norway, after Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
, Bergen Airport, Flesland
and Stavanger Airport, Sola
. The busiest route is to Oslo, which was the busiest domestic route and the tenth-busiest route within the European Economic Area
in 2008.
The Norwegian State Railways operates both commuter and express trains to and from Trondheim Airport. In each direction, there are three daily express trains, one to Mo i Rana
and two to Bodø. One of the Bodø-trains is a night train
. Travel time to Mo i Rana is 6 hours and travel time to Bodø is 9 hours and 5 minutes. The Mo i Rana-service is operated with Class 93 trains, while the Bodø-services are operated with Di 4
-hauled trains.
The Trøndelag Commuter Rail offers hourly services in each direction: northbound to Steinkjer
and southbound to Trondheim and Lerkendal
. During peak hours, the frequency is doubled. Travel time to Trondheim is 38 minutes an to Lerkendal 51 minutes. Northwards, travel time to Levanger
is 48 minutes, to Verdal
1 hour and 2 minutes, and to Steinkjer 1 hour and 26 minutes. The commuter rail is operated with Class 92 trains.
and E14
. The airports connects to Norwegian National Road 705 via a roundabout, which again connects with the E6 in a grade-separated intersection 300 metres (984.3 ft) away. The E6 and E14 run concurrently northwards in an aircraft bridge under the runway; southwards the E6 and E14 run as a two-lane motorway as a toll road
past Trondheim. The airport has 3,000 paid parking places, operated by Europark
, both indoor and outdoor. Car rental is available, as are taxis.
Klæburuten
operates the Airport Express Coaches four times hourly (every 10 minutes during rush hours).to Downtown Trondheim, stopping at major hotels, Trondheim Central Station
and the Munkegata Terminal
. Nettbuss
operates city and regional buses to Selbu
and Oppdal
from the bus stop at Hell Center
—five minutes walk from the airport. TrønderBilene
operates Norway Bussekspress coaches to Namsos
. Rica Hell Hotel operates a shuttle bus from the terminal to the hotel, although the hotel is within walking distance.
. 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 an extension 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. 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
(RAF). 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 and 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 ). Luftwaffe had also finished the control tower that had been under construction since 1939.
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.
(DNL) started seaplane services from Ilsvika and Jonsvannet in Trondheim. These were terminated during World War II, but taken up again by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Norwegian Air Force during the summer of 1945. They were terminated in November due to the weather and RAF's withdrawal. The following year, DNL started services again, this time from Hommelvik
. During winter, the route was not operated. The service was operated with a Sandringham
air boat to Oslo
and Northern Norway, and a Junkers Ju-52 to Western Norway. The southbound and northbound Sandringhams and the Junkers all met at Hummelvik to exchange passengers. There was only room for two planes at the quay, so the third aircraft had to be anchored in the fjord. In 1947, the airport had 3,500 passengers. On 2 October 1948, the Bukkene Bruse Accident
occurred, where a Sandringham aircraft crashed during landing, killing 19 people. In 1949, a reserve airport was built at Skogn
, and people were transported from Hommelvik to Skogn along the Nordland Line in case the reserve airport was used. DNL became part of Scandinavian Airlines System
(SAS) in 1951—the last year it used Hommelvik. Vestlandske Luftfartsselskap continued to use Hommelvik for some more year. Braathens SAFE started their route from Oslo Airport, Fornebu
via Hamar Airport, Stafsberg
and Røros Airport
on 18 August 1953. However, they chose to operated their de Havilland Heron
s from Trondheim Airport, Lade, just a few kilometers outside of the city center, in days with clear weather. Braathens SAFE moved all services to Værnes in 1956.
at Værnes, organized by two clubs, 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 initially many customers, the lack of sufficient deicing 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 top of the control tower, giving a much better view of the air field.
Prior to World War II, Heimdal
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 to Værnes by Luftwaffe, a commission was established in 1947 to look into if Værnes or Lade instead should be selected. The commission was unanimous 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
focused on 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 and the mouth of the Stjørdal River be diverted.
SAS moved its seaplane services to Værnes in 1952, and two year later started flying the route from Oslo Airport, Fornebu
via Trondheim to Bodø Airport
using Saab 90 Scandia aircraft. The first terminal was half a 100 square metres (119.6 sq yd) barracks located beside a military hangar. In 1956, Braathens SAFE moved its services from Lade to Værnes, making the terminal too small for the needs. The whole barracks was taken into use in 1958, doubling the area. Braathens SAFE initially served flights to Trondheim from Oslo Airport, Fornebu
with stop-overs at Hamar Airport, Stafsberg
, and from 1957 at Røros Airport
, using de Havilland Heron
aircraft. Concession for the route from Bergen via the new Ålesund Airport, Vigra
to Trondheim was granted to Braathens SAFE from 1958. Braathens SAFE then also started using Fokker F-27 turboprops, at first on the Oslo-route, but later also on the West Coast route. When they were taken fully into use, the service to Hamar was terminated.
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 of the new runway therefore 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.
Parliament passed legislation for the construction of a new 2000 square metres (2,392 sq yd) terminal in 1964, which opened on 5 December 1965. the following year, Widerøe started a seaplane route from Værnes to Namsos
, Rørvik
, Brønnøysund
, Sandnessjøen
, Mo i Rana
and Bodø. To serve the seaplanes, a quay was established at Hell
. On 1 July 1968, four airports in Helgeland
opened: Namsos Airport, Høknesøra
, Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy
, Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka
and Mo i Rana Airport, Røssvoll
. These were served by Widerøe with the land planes de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
. From 1 April 1967, Braathens SAFE was permitted to extend their West Coast service north to Bodø and Tromsø. Starting in 1969, Braathens introduced Boeing 737-200 jet aircraft on the Oslo services and Fokker F-28 jet aircraft on the West Coast services. In 1975, a third control tower was built, located right in front of (the yet to be built) Terminal A.
In 1976, charter planes started operating to Trondheim, after a barracks was rebuilt to facilitate a border control. Several plans for a lager terminal were made, but these were delayed. In the late 1970s, the tarmac was expanded and a new taxiway built. Braathens SAFE opened a new 2750 square metres (3,289 sq yd) hangar in 1979. The third terminal opened as an extension of the old one in May 1982. It was 5500 square metres (6,577.9 sq yd) and the old terminal was converted to a cafeteria. Due to a heavy increase in traffic, the new terminal quickly became too small. During 1985 and 1986, a major overhaul of the main runway was made; it was dismantled and a new foundation and surface was laid. A number of new military buildings were constructed, along with six stands for large cargo aircraft and a new fuel system. In 1988, smaller adjustments, including new washrooms and longer baggage belts, were installed at the terminal. From 1986, Braathens SAFE retired its Fokker F-28, and the West Coast route to Molde was subcontracted to Busy Bee
, who started to serve Værnes with their Fokker F-27, and later Fokker 50, aircraft. In 1992, SAS Cargo built a 1440 square metres (1,722.2 sq yd) facility. After Busy Bee's bankruptcy, the regional services were taken over by Norwegian Air Shuttle from 22 January 1993.
with a train station in the terminal, when Trondheim Airport Station opened. In March 1996, the old terminal was named Terminal B and all international flights were moved there. A new taxiway, which extended the full length of the runway, was opened in 1999, after more artificial land has been created and a second tunnel built for the highway and railway.
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
opened on 8 October 1998, replacing the congested Fornebu. For the first time, an airline could receive sufficient landing slots to challenge SAS and Braathens on domestic routes. The low-cost carrier
Color Air
was established, and started flights from Oslo to Trondheim using Boeing 737-300 aircraft. SAS and Braathens also saw the opportunity to increase the frequency on the route, and the three airlines between them introduced 39 daily flights. This made the route the fourth-busiest in Europe in terms of the number of aircraft. During this period, there were 84 daily departures to all destinations from Værnes. Color Air filed for bankruptcy on 27 September 1999, ending a price war
which had cost the airlines NOK 3 billion.
By April 2000, the number of services by the main airlines was reduced to less than the level before the opening of Gardermoen, with 75 daily departures. Braathens had 33 daily departures, SAS had 22 and Widerøe had 20. Of Braathens' services, 14 were to Oslo, 15 to cities on the West Coast (of which four were operated by Norwegian Air Shuttle) and four were to Bodø, Harstad/Narvik and Tromsø. SAS operated 15 daily flights to Oslo, while eight were operated to Bodø, Harstad/Narvik and Tromsø. One flight was to their main hub in Copenhagen. This was the last year that SAS used DC-9s to Trondheim, phasing in Boeing 737 Next Generation
aircraft, supplemented by occasional MD-80s. Widerøe had 15 daily flights to STOLports in Helgeland, and five flights to Sandefjord.
In 2002, SAS acquired Braathens, and the two companies coordinated their routes. All flights from Trondheim to Oslo were taken over by SAS, who increased to 23 departures per day in each direction. This included a 30-minute headway
from 06:30 to 09:30 and from15:30 to 19:00. This made the route Trondheim–Oslo the busiest in the country. The routes northwards were taken over by Braathens, who increased to six daily trips to Bodø with connections northwards. The daily trip with Braathens to Harstad/Narvik was replaced by a two round trips with SAS Commuter. Braathens retained the routes to the West Coast, with two flights to Ålesund and seven to Bergen. In addition, Norwegian Air Shuttle continued with two flights to Molde. In 2004, SAS and Braathens merged to form SAS Braathens
. The airline changed its name back to Scandinavian Airlines in 2007.
From 1 September 2002, Norwegian Air Shuttle converted from a regional airline to a low-cost carrier and started competing on the route to Oslo. From 5 May 2003, Norwegian started a daily domestic service to Tromsø
, from 17 April 2004, they introduced two weekly services to Prague
, Czech Republic
, and from 26 June to Dubrovnik
, Croatia
. From 30 October, Norwegian introduced one weekly flight to Murcia
, Spain
, from 4 November, they introduced five weekly services to London Stansted Airport
, United Kingdom
. In 2005, Terminal B received a major upgrade, increasing the passenger area with 1000 square metres (1,196 sq yd). The airport was also rebuilt to 100% security control. The terminal received a new border control
for flights to countries outside the Schengen Area
and a duty free store for both departing and arriving passengers. A new 55 metres (180.4 ft) tall control tower was also built.
From 7 January 2006, Norwegian started a seasonal winter service to Salzburg
, Austria
; from 7 May 2006, they introduced one weekly service to Nice
, France
; On 1 April 2008, they started two weekly round trips to Warsaw
, Poland
; and from 1 June 2008, Norwegian introduced one daily evening flight to Bodø
and Tromsø
. In 2009, a new indoor parking lot opened, with a capacity of 1,200 cars. It replaced a site with 225 parking places and cost NOK 125 million. The same year saw the opening of the Radisson Blu hotel, costing NOK 220 million, and a new fire station for NOK 80 million. From 31 October 2009, Norwegian started a weekly service to Las Palmas, Spain. On 31 January 2010, SAS operated its last service to Molde. To compensate, the Molde-based Krohn Air
was established to start flights between Værnes and Molde Airport, Årø
on 3 February, using Dornier 328
aircraft operated by Sun Air of Scandinavia
.
On 22 February 2010, Nextjet
commenced two daily round trips to Åre Östersund Airport and Stockholm-Bromma Airport
in Sweden. From 28 March 2010, Norwegian moved its three weekly services to London from Stansted to London Gatwick Airport
. From 10 June to 30 August 2010, Icelandair
will operate two weekly services to their hub Keflavík International Airport
using Boeing 757
aircraft.
. Along the area between the railway and the highway, a south pier is planned to be constructed, with the inside facing immediately towards the railway and the outside having aircraft stands. In the short term, this is planned with six stands for regional aircraft, with a single-story building. Then gates 36 and 37 at the east end of Terminal A can be rebuilt with jetbridges. The remaining stands currently used for regional aircraft will then be converted to international gates. While Avinor states that there is need for an expansion of Terminal B, no concrete solution has been found, in part because of the lack of space in the area, although this can partially be fixed by removing the general aviation from the area.
At both ends of the runway, the taxiway ends 150 metres (492.1 ft) from the start of the runway, forcing aircraft which need the full length to backtrack. An extension of the taxiways would help with this problem. Both at Terminal A and B, there will be a need for double taxiways. This will result in insufficient space for general aviation at its current location, and this has been proposed moved eastwards past the military installations. Several airlines, in particular Helitrans, has indicated need for more space. Proposals have been made to establish a heliport
to allow flight to oil platform
s on the Norwegian continental shelf
. The military has suggested to fill inn a large section of the river delta at the west end of the runway, and move some of the cargo and helicopter operations there, but environmental concerns have been raised by among others Avinor. The cost of establishing access to the artificial land is also high. By 2050, there may be need for a second, parallel runway to meet demand, and initial plans call for a 1199 metres (3,933.7 ft) runway which would be used by general aviation, regional airlines and helicopters.
Between 2009 and 2011, Avinor is extending the runway with 150 metres (492.1 ft) into the fjord. The masses used for this are coming from the construction of the near-by Gevingåsen Tunnel
on the Nordland Line, which will help shorten the travel time of the airport rail link
to Trondheim and increase frequency. Once finished, the line may be electrified. Plans have been launched to construct a high-speed railway from Trondheim to Steinkjer, which would allow a high-speed connection to Trondheim Central Station in 13 minutes. This may be part of a project to build a high-speed, which could cannibalize
ridership from the airport. Work has commenced on building the E6 northwards to a four-lane highway 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Værnes past Stjørdal. This is scheduled for completion in 2013.
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 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...
, 10 NM east of Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre 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...
. 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...
, it shares facilities with Værnes Air Station
Værnes Air Station
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...
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...
. In 2010, the airport had 3,521,734 (+2.8%) passengers and 55,747 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 a main east–west 2759 metres (9,051.8 ft) runway, a disused northwest–southeast 1472 metres (4,829.4 ft) runway, 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 also 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...
. Krohn Air
Krohn Air
Krohn Air AS is a virtual, regional airline which flies from Molde Airport, Årø to Trondheim Airport, Værnes in Norway. The airline has a British Aerospace Jetstream 32, which is operated by Helitrans...
provides services to Molde
Molde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
. 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-Bromma
Stockholm-Bromma Airport
Stockholm-Bromma Airport is an airport in Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm-Bromma Airport is located west northwest of downtown Stockholm and is the closest to the city...
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...
commenced 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...
in June 2010. In 30 October 2011 Flybe Nordic
Flybe Nordic
Flybe Nordic is an airline, jointly owned by Flybe and Finnair, and began operations on 30 October 2011.-History:The airline was announced on 1 July 2011, when Flybe and Finnair revealed plans to jointly purchase Finnish Commuter Airlines and rebrand the airline Flybe Nordic, with Flybe and...
, a Finnish joint venture of Flybe
Flybe
Flybe Group PLC is a British low-cost regional airline headquartered at the Jack Walker House at Exeter International Airport in Devon, England...
and Finnair
Finnair
Finnair Plc is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, with its headquarters on the grounds of Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, Finland, and its main hub at Helsinki Airport. Finnair and its subsidiaries dominate both the domestic and international air travel markets in Finland. The largest...
, commenced regular service to Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. In addition, Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
offers a weekly seasonal service to Frankfurt and Estonian Air
Estonian Air
AS Estonian Air is Estonia's national carrier, owned by the Estonian state. The airline is based in Tallinn, Estonia. It is a regional airline feeding into the Scandinavian Airlines System network via Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen from Estonia....
will start a service to Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
in September. The airport also serves charter services, mainly to the Mediterranean.
Værnes was taken into use by the Royal Norwegian Army in 1887. The first flight was made in 1914, and aerodrome facilities were gradually installed. The first main installations, including three concrete runways, were built during World War II by 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....
. After the war, the Air Force Pilot School moved to Værnes, although in 1954 most of the other air force activities for Central Norway were moved to 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...
. Civilian aviation started in 1951, when half a barracks was taken into use as a terminal, with the whole building being utilized from 1958. Jet aircraft started serving Værnes from 1963, and the second terminal opened in 1965. The third (the current international Terminal B) was opened in 1982, and the fourth, Terminal A, was opened in 1994, along with the train station. From 1956 to 2004, Braathens
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,...
was one of the largest airlines at the airport.
Facilities
Trondheim Airport is a joint military and civilian airport located in the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-TrøndelagNord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
, with the northern part of the airport bordering the town of Stjørdalshalsen
Stjørdalshalsen
Stjørdalshalsen is a town and the administrative centre of the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located between the rivers Stjørdalselva and Gråelva, and their mouth into the Trondheimsfjord.The town has a population of 10,779. The population density of the town is...
. To the west, the airport borders the Trondheimsfjord
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheimsfjord , an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way...
, and to the south the Stjørdal River. Combining the functions as an international, domestic
Domestic airport
A domestic airport is an airport which handles only domestic flights or flights within the same country. Domestic airports don't have customs and immigration facilities and are therefore incapable of handling flights to or from a foreign airport....
and regional airport, it is located 10 NM east of Trondheim. Most of the airport area is owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Defence
Norwegian Ministry of Defence
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence is a Norwegian government ministry in charge of the formation and implementation of national security and defence policy, and for the overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies. The ministry is located at Glacisgata 1, Oslo,...
, although the civilian facilities and the air traffic control are owned and operated by Avinor, a subsidiary of 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...
.
Terminals
The civilian sector consists of two terminals—A and B—which combined are 20000 square metres (23,919.8 sq yd), of which 13500 square metres (16,145.9 sq yd) is passenger facilities. Terminal A is used for domestic traffic, while Terminal B is used for international services. Both terminals have their own check-in facilities, but the check-in for scheduled international services is done from Terminal A. It is possible to walk between the two terminals both within and outside the secure area. The terminal contains an array of stores and dining places; these include a book store, convenience stores (including NarvesenNarvesen
Narvesen is a Norwegian chain of convenience stores/news agents, and is one of Norway's largest convenience store chains with 440 stores. Narvesen was established in 1894 by Bertrand Narvesen. Narvesen stores also exists in Latvia ....
and 7-Eleven
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
), clothing, crafts and cosmetics; diners, restaurants and pubs; and a 560 square metres (669.8 sq yd) duty free store. The airport also has three automatic teller machines and a Radisson Blu hotel with 180 rooms and 11 conference rooms. Rica
Rica
Rica may refer to:*Doña Rica, otherwise known as Richeza of Poland, Queen of Castile*Rica Matsumoto , a Japanese actress*Rica Peralejo , a Filipina actress, singer, and television host*Rica Erickson Rica may refer to:*Doña Rica, otherwise known as Richeza of Poland, Queen of Castile*Rica Matsumoto...
operates another hotel, the 400-room Rica Hell Hotel, within walking distance of the airport. The airport administration is located in Terminal B, while the administration for airlines and handling agents is located in annexes of Terminal A.
The terminal has stands for 18 aircraft, of which five at Terminal A have jetbridges. Two stands (one at each terminal) is size code D (large enough for an airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
or a 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...
), while 11 are for size category C (large enough for 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...
or 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...
). Fourteen of the stands are large enough for commercial traffic. Domestic jets normally use the five jetbridge stands (gates 31–35), while the four non-bridged gates at Terminal A (gates 36–39) are used for domestic regional aircraft. International flights all use the five non-bridged gates at Terminal B. The Air Force has six stands for military freight planes up to the size of a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (code F), although one is permanently used for deicing
Deicing
For snow and ice control on roadways and similar facilities, see Snow removalDe-icing is defined as removal of snow, ice or frost from a surface...
.
Cargo, general aviation and VIP
Southeast of Terminal B is a collection of hangars and facilities belonging to various airlines. The largest is a 2750 square metres (3,289 sq yd) hangar belonging to Scandinavian Airlines, dating from 1979, and a 1440 square metres (1,722.2 sq yd) hangar from 1992 which is used by SAS Cargo. The airline also has two smaller buildings, at 200 and 300 m² (239.2 and 358.8 ). This area contains the main gate, which is also used for VIP passengers. There are six additional hangars, used by HelitransHelitrans
Helitrans is a Norwegian helicopter, fixed wing aircraft and aircraft maintenance company based at Trondheim Airport, Værnes established in 1990. The airline also has bases in Mo i Rana Airport, Røssvoll, Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy and Sandefjord Airport, Torp in Norway...
(780 square metre), built in 1984 and 1991, a 500 square metres (598 sq yd) hangar belonging to Auticon, a 300 square metres (358.8 sq yd) hangar belonging to Hilmar Tollefsen and two smaller hangars, one of which belongs to Værnes flyklubb. Værnes handles the largest amount of 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...
in Central Norway, including executive jets.
Runway and air control
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 systemInstrument 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 2. 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 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, but this is reduced during bad weather, so the airport has 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. The current control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
is 55 metres (180.4 ft) tall and dates from 2005.
Military
Værnes Air Station is 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 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...
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 places 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. The Ring Road connects the northern to the southern installations and passes the main runway on the east side.
Airlines and destinations
Scandinavian Airlines is the airline with the most domestic services to Trondheim, with four Boeing 737Boeing 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 stationed at Værnes. The main route is to its hub, the Norwegian capital of Oslo; additional services are operated to Bergen, Bodø, Stavanger, Tromsø and Ålesund. Internationally, it provides a weekly flight to Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
, Spain, and a daily flight to its hubs at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm Arlanda Airport , is an international airport located in the Sigtuna Municipality of Sweden, near the town of Märsta, north of Stockholm and nearly , by road, south-east of Uppsala....
and Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen Airport is the main international airport serving Copenhagen, Denmark and the Oresund Region. It is located on the island of Amager, south of Copenhagen city centre, and west of Malmö city centre on the other side of the Oresund Bridge. The airport lies mainly in the municipality...
(CPH from November 2011).
Norwegian Air Shuttle is a low-cost airline which has two Boeing 737 aircraft stationed at Værnes. They operates the main domestic services to Oslo, Bergen, Bodø and Tromsø, in addition to Moss Airport, Rygge
Moss Airport, Rygge
Moss Airport, Rygge is an international airport serving Moss, Oslo and Eastern Norway, located in Rygge. It is both a regional airport for Østfold as well as an airport for low-cost airlines. The airport is located outside Moss and outside Oslo and is owned and operated by the private company...
, which it markets as Oslo-Rygge. It provides a range of international services, although only with one to three weekly services, to eleven European destinations in seven countries.
Widerøe is a regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
subsidiary of SAS. It uses Dash 8 Q400 aircraft to operate to its hub at Sandefjord Airport, Torp, and SAS' hub at Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen Airport is the main international airport serving Copenhagen, Denmark and the Oresund Region. It is located on the island of Amager, south of Copenhagen city centre, and west of Malmö city centre on the other side of the Oresund Bridge. The airport lies mainly in the municipality...
in Denmark. Northwards, Widerøe uses Trondheim Airport as a hub to serve six airports in Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
and Helgeland on 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...
contracts with 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...
.
KLM operates flights to its hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol three times a day by its regional subsidiary KLM Cityhopper
KLM Cityhopper
KLM Cityhopper is the regional subsidiary of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines . The airline, with its head office, the Convair Building, on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Schiphol-Oost, Haarlemmermeer, operates short haul services in and around Europe...
using Embraer 190 aircraft. The airport is also served by numerous charter airlines. Ground handling is provided by Røros Flyservice
Røros Flyservice
Røros Flyservice AS is a Norwegian aircraft ground handling company operating at nine airports. Its main customer is Norwegian Air Shuttle, although it serves KLM, Air France, Danish Air Transport and Air Baltic. The company also operates a travel agency....
, 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....
and Spirit Air Cargo Handling.
Notes:
Flights are routed Keflavik - Bergen - Trondheim - Keflavik.
Traffic
Trondheim Airport is the only primary airport in TrøndelagTrøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
, and has a catchment area
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 310,000 people, including most of Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag
Sør-Trøndelag
- References :...
. For international flights, the catchment area is slightly larger, and includes part of Nordmøre
Nordmøre
Nordmøre is a traditional district in the Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. The area comprises the northern third of the county including the municipalities of Kristiansund, Averøy, Tingvoll, Surnadal, Rindal, Aure, Halsa, Eide, Sunndal, Gjemnes, and Smøla...
, Helgeland, and Jämtland
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
in Sweden. In 2009, Trondheim Airport served 3,424,965 passengers, 6207 tonnes (6,109 LT) of cargo and 54,686 aircraft movements, down from 2008. Værnes ranks fourth in Norway, after 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...
, 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...
and 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...
. The busiest route is to Oslo, which was the busiest domestic route and the tenth-busiest route within the European Economic Area
European Economic Area
The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...
in 2008.
| Airport | Country | Passengers |
|---|---|---|
| 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... |
Norway | 1,618,940 |
| 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... |
Norway | 408,897 |
| Bodø Airport Bodø Airport Bodø Airport is civil airport in Bodø, Norway. Located just south of the city centre, on the westernmost tip of the peninsula Bodø lies on, it shares facilities with the military air force base Bodø Main Air Station. The airport has a single concrete, runway which runs in a roughly east-west... |
Norway | 296,878 |
| Copenhagen Airport Copenhagen Airport Copenhagen Airport is the main international airport serving Copenhagen, Denmark and the Oresund Region. It is located on the island of Amager, south of Copenhagen city centre, and west of Malmö city centre on the other side of the Oresund Bridge. The airport lies mainly in the municipality... |
Denmark | 114,381 |
| Ålesund Airport, Vigra Ålesund Airport, Vigra Ålesund Airport, Vigra is an airport which serves the city of Ålesund in Norway and the surrounding regions Sunnmøre, Nordfjord and Romsdal. The airport is located on the island of Vigra in the Giske municipality, northeast of Ålesund city centre and easily accessible through underseas tunnels... |
Norway | 94,726 |
| Sandefjord Airport, Torp | Norway | 92,195 |
| Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Amsterdam Airport Schiphol ) is the Netherlands' main international airport, located 20 minutes southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The airport's official English name, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, reflects the original Dutch word order... |
Netherlands | 90,836 |
| Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy is the airport serving the town of Brønnøysund in the Brønnøy municipality in Nordland, Norway. The airport is located southeast of the town centre and opened in 1968. Brønnøy is operated by Avinor... |
Norway | 69,590 |
| 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... |
Norway | 65,260 |
| Mosjøen Airport, Kjærstad 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:... |
Norway | 47,046 |
Ground transport
Rail
Rail transport is offered from Trondheim Airport Station. The platform is about 190 metres (623.4 ft) from the check-in at the terminal, and the station is 33 kilometres (20.5 mi) from Trondheim Central Station. There is no manned ticket sale, but a vending machine for tickets is located in the airport terminal.The Norwegian State Railways operates both commuter and express trains to and from Trondheim Airport. In each direction, there are three daily express trains, one to Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana is a town in the municipality of Rana, Nordland, Norway, located just south of the Arctic Circle and in the region Helgeland. The town is called "Mo i Rana" to distinquish it from other places named Mo - most notably the town of Mosjøen, also in Helgeland - though locally the town is...
and two to Bodø. One of the Bodø-trains is a night train
NSB Night Train
NSB Night Train is a night sleeping car service provided by the Norwegian State Railways on four routes; Oslo - Bergen , Oslo - Stavanger , Oslo - Trondheim and Trondheim - Bodø .The service is provided using El 18 locomotives with WLAB2 and B7 cars on the electrified lines in Southern Norway,...
. Travel time to Mo i Rana is 6 hours and travel time to Bodø is 9 hours and 5 minutes. The Mo i Rana-service is operated with Class 93 trains, while the Bodø-services are operated with Di 4
NSB Di 4
The NSB Di 4 is a diesel-electric locomotive used by Norwegian NSB railways to haul passenger trains on stretches which are not electrified. They are used mostly on Nordlandsbanen, since the other unelectrified stretches are usually served by diesel multiple units.The five Di 4s which were built...
-hauled trains.
The Trøndelag Commuter Rail offers hourly services in each direction: northbound to Steinkjer
Steinkjer
is a town and a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Steinkjer, which is also the seat of the county government...
and southbound to Trondheim and Lerkendal
Lerkendal Station
Lerkendal is a railway station located at Lerkendal in Trondheim, Norway. The station is the southern terminus of Trønderbanen, the commuter rail between Steinkjer and Trondheim...
. During peak hours, the frequency is doubled. Travel time to Trondheim is 38 minutes an to Lerkendal 51 minutes. Northwards, travel time to Levanger
Levanger
Levanger is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger...
is 48 minutes, to Verdal
Verdal
Verdal is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Verdalsøra...
1 hour and 2 minutes, and to Steinkjer 1 hour and 26 minutes. The commuter rail is operated with Class 92 trains.
Road
The airport is located along European Route E6European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
and E14
European route E14
European route E 14 is a road part of the International E-road network. It begins in Trondheim, Norway and ends in Sundsvall, Sweden. The road is in length....
. The airports connects to Norwegian National Road 705 via a roundabout, which again connects with the E6 in a grade-separated intersection 300 metres (984.3 ft) away. The E6 and E14 run concurrently northwards in an aircraft bridge under the runway; southwards the E6 and E14 run as a two-lane motorway as a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
past Trondheim. The airport has 3,000 paid parking places, operated by Europark
EuroPark
EuroPark AS is the Scandinavian division of APCOA Parking with operations in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. It is the largest parking operator in Norway and Denmark...
, both indoor and outdoor. Car rental is available, as are taxis.
Klæburuten
Klæburuten
Klæburuten is a Norwegian bus company located in Trondheim. It operates the regional buses in Klæbu and to Trondheim in addition to the Airport Bus from Trondheim to Trondheim Airport, Værnes....
operates the Airport Express Coaches four times hourly (every 10 minutes during rush hours).to Downtown Trondheim, stopping at major hotels, Trondheim Central Station
Trondheim Central Station
Trondheim Central Station or Trondheim S is the main railway station serving the city of Trondheim, Norway. Located at Brattøra in the north part of the city center, it is the terminus of the Dovre Line, running southwards, and the Nordland Line, which runs north...
and the Munkegata Terminal
Munkegata Terminal
Munkegata Terminal is the main bus station in Trondheim, Norway. All buses to and from Trondheim, with the sole exception of the Airport Express Bus and TrønderBilene stops at the terminal, that is located on the streets of Munkegata and Dronningens gate on Trondheim Torg in Midtbyen...
. Nettbuss
Nettbuss
Nettbuss AS is the largest bus company in Norway owned by the Norwegian State Railways . It was until 2000 known as NSB Biltrafikk. The company has 14 operating subsidiaries throughout Norway and in Denmark and Sweden....
operates city and regional buses to Selbu
Selbu
Selbu is a municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Mebonden. Other villages in Selbu include Flora, Fossan, Hyttbakken, Innbygda, Selbustrand, Tømra, and Vikvarvet.-General information:...
and Oppdal
Oppdal
is a village and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Dovre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppdal. Other villages in the municipality include Lønset, Vognillan, Fagerhaug, and Holan...
from the bus stop at Hell Center
Hell, Norway
Hell is a village in the Lånke area of the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the western part of the municipality, about south of the municipal center of Stjørdalshalsen. The village has a population of 1,418...
—five minutes walk from the airport. TrønderBilene
TrønderBilene
TrønderBilene AS is a bus company operating in Trøndelag, Norway. As of 2009, it has 324 employees and 238 buses, and is owned by Torghatten ASA. The company operates both coach, bus, charter and school routes, as well as some truck and garage services. The areas of operation are Innherred,...
operates Norway Bussekspress coaches to Namsos
Namsos
is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Namsos. Other villages in the municipality include Bangsund, Klinga, Ramsvika, Skomsvoll, and Spillum....
. Rica Hell Hotel operates a shuttle bus from the terminal to the hotel, although the hotel is within walking distance.
Military establishment
Værnes is first recorded in the 10th century as the seat for one of eight chieftains in 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 an extension 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. 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...
(RAF). 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 and 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 ). Luftwaffe had also finished the control tower that had been under construction since 1939.
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.
Previous airports
Civilian aviation in Trøndelag started in 1937, when Det Norske LuftfartselskapDet Norske Luftfartselskap
Det Norske Luftfartselskap A/S or DNL, trading internationally as Norwegian Air Lines, was an airline and flag carrier of Norway. Founded in 1927, it operated domestic and international routes from 1935 to 1941 and from 1946 to 1951...
(DNL) started seaplane services from Ilsvika and Jonsvannet in Trondheim. These were terminated during World War II, but taken up again by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Norwegian Air Force during the summer of 1945. They were terminated in November due to the weather and RAF's withdrawal. The following year, DNL started services again, this time from Hommelvik
Hommelvik
Hommelvik is a village and the administrative centre of the municipality of Malvik in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located at the end of the Hommelvika, a bay off of the Trondheimsfjord. It is about southwest of Muruvika, about southeast of Smiskaret, about east of Vikhammer,...
. During winter, the route was not operated. The service was operated with a Sandringham
Sandringham
Sandringham can refer to:Places*Sandringham, Johannesburg, a suburb of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa*Sandringham, Norfolk, a village in Norfolk, England*Sandringham House in the aforementioned village, owned by the British Royal Family...
air boat 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...
and Northern Norway, and a Junkers Ju-52 to Western Norway. The southbound and northbound Sandringhams and the Junkers all met at Hummelvik to exchange passengers. There was only room for two planes at the quay, so the third aircraft had to be anchored in the fjord. In 1947, the airport had 3,500 passengers. On 2 October 1948, the Bukkene Bruse Accident
Bukken Bruse disaster
The Bukken Bruse disaster was the crash of a flying boat upon landing at Hommelvika in Malvik municipality, nearby Trondheim, Trøndelag, Norway, on October 2, 1948. The disaster killed 19 people...
occurred, where a Sandringham aircraft crashed during landing, killing 19 people. In 1949, a reserve airport was built at Skogn
Skogn
Skogn is a village and former municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Levanger. It is home to the Fiborgtangen industrial area.The village of Skogn is located about southwest of the town of Levanger...
, and people were transported from Hommelvik to Skogn along the Nordland Line in case the reserve airport was used. DNL became part of 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) in 1951—the last year it used Hommelvik. Vestlandske Luftfartsselskap continued to use Hommelvik for some more year. Braathens SAFE started their route from 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...
via Hamar Airport, Stafsberg
Hamar Airport, Stafsberg
Hamar Airport, Stafsberg is located at Stafsberg, just north of the town of Hamar in Norway, and was opened on 17 November 1950. At that time the airport was located at the border point between the municipalities of Hamar, Furnes and Vang. It had scheduled services by Braathens SAFE from 16 May...
and Røros Airport
Røros Airport
Røros Airport is a regional airport serving the town of Røros in Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. The airport is located west of the town centre and opened in 1957. It is served daily by DOT LT to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen and weekly by Skyways Express to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport...
on 18 August 1953. However, they chose to operated their de Havilland Heron
De Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle...
s from Trondheim Airport, Lade, just a few kilometers outside of the city center, in days with clear weather. Braathens SAFE moved all services to Værnes in 1956.
Civilian establishment
After World War II, there was only general aviationGeneral 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 two clubs, 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 initially many customers, the lack of sufficient deicing 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 top 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....
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 to Værnes by Luftwaffe, a commission was established in 1947 to look into if Værnes or Lade instead should be selected. The commission was unanimous 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...
focused on 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, 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 and the mouth of the Stjørdal River be diverted.
SAS moved its seaplane services to Værnes in 1952, and two year later started flying the route from 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...
via Trondheim to Bodø Airport
Bodø Airport
Bodø Airport is civil airport in Bodø, Norway. Located just south of the city centre, on the westernmost tip of the peninsula Bodø lies on, it shares facilities with the military air force base Bodø Main Air Station. The airport has a single concrete, runway which runs in a roughly east-west...
using Saab 90 Scandia aircraft. The first terminal was half a 100 square metres (119.6 sq yd) barracks located beside a military hangar. In 1956, Braathens SAFE moved its services from Lade to Værnes, making the terminal too small for the needs. The whole barracks was taken into use in 1958, doubling the area. Braathens SAFE initially served flights to Trondheim from 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...
with stop-overs at Hamar Airport, Stafsberg
Hamar Airport, Stafsberg
Hamar Airport, Stafsberg is located at Stafsberg, just north of the town of Hamar in Norway, and was opened on 17 November 1950. At that time the airport was located at the border point between the municipalities of Hamar, Furnes and Vang. It had scheduled services by Braathens SAFE from 16 May...
, and from 1957 at Røros Airport
Røros Airport
Røros Airport is a regional airport serving the town of Røros in Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. The airport is located west of the town centre and opened in 1957. It is served daily by DOT LT to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen and weekly by Skyways Express to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport...
, using de Havilland Heron
De Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle...
aircraft. Concession for the route from Bergen via the new Ålesund Airport, Vigra
Ålesund Airport, Vigra
Ålesund Airport, Vigra is an airport which serves the city of Ålesund in Norway and the surrounding regions Sunnmøre, Nordfjord and Romsdal. The airport is located on the island of Vigra in the Giske municipality, northeast of Ålesund city centre and easily accessible through underseas tunnels...
to Trondheim was granted to Braathens SAFE from 1958. Braathens SAFE then also started using Fokker F-27 turboprops, at first on the Oslo-route, but later also on the West Coast route. When they were taken fully into use, the service to Hamar was terminated.
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 of the new runway therefore 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.
Parliament passed legislation for the construction of a new 2000 square metres (2,392 sq yd) terminal in 1964, which opened on 5 December 1965. the following year, Widerøe started a seaplane route from Værnes to Namsos
Namsos
is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Namsos. Other villages in the municipality include Bangsund, Klinga, Ramsvika, Skomsvoll, and Spillum....
, Rørvik
Rørvik
Rørvik is a port village in the municipality of Vikna in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village also serves as the administrative centre of the municipality. It is on the eastern side of the Vikna archipelago on the island of Inner-Vikna. The village has a population of 2,721. The...
, Brønnøysund
Brønnøysund
is a town and the administrative centre of the municipality of Brønnøy, Norway. It is also a former municipality in Nordland county. The village of Brønnøysund received town status in 2000. The city lies along the coast and is often called "the coastal town in the middle of Norway." Brønnøysund...
, Sandnessjøen
Sandnessjøen
Sandnessjøen is the centre of the municipality of Alstahaug in the county of Nordland, Norway, with a population of over 9,000. It was made a township in 1788....
, Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana is a town in the municipality of Rana, Nordland, Norway, located just south of the Arctic Circle and in the region Helgeland. The town is called "Mo i Rana" to distinquish it from other places named Mo - most notably the town of Mosjøen, also in Helgeland - though locally the town is...
and Bodø. To serve the seaplanes, a quay was established at Hell
Hell, Norway
Hell is a village in the Lånke area of the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the western part of the municipality, about south of the municipal center of Stjørdalshalsen. The village has a population of 1,418...
. On 1 July 1968, four 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...
opened: Namsos Airport, Høknesøra
Namsos Airport, Høknesøra
Namsos Airport, Høknesøra is a regional airport located along the Namsen river, just outside of the town of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The airport is served with Dash 8 aircraft from Widerøe on public service obligation contracts with the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and...
, Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy
Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy
Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy is the airport serving the town of Brønnøysund in the Brønnøy municipality in Nordland, Norway. The airport is located southeast of the town centre and opened in 1968. Brønnøy is operated by Avinor...
, Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka
Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka
Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka is a regional airport serving Sandnessjøen in Nordland, Norway. In 2009, Sandnessjøen Airport served 88,934 passengers. It is operated by Avinor.-Service:...
and Mo i Rana Airport, Røssvoll
Mo i Rana Airport, Røssvoll
Mo i Rana Airport, Røssvoll is a regional airport serving Mo i Rana in Nordland, Norway. In 2005 Mo i Rana Airport had 71,454 passengers. It is operated by Avinor.-Service:...
. These were served by Widerøe with the land planes de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
. From 1 April 1967, Braathens SAFE was permitted to extend their West Coast service north to Bodø and Tromsø. Starting in 1969, Braathens introduced Boeing 737-200 jet aircraft on the Oslo services and Fokker F-28 jet aircraft on the West Coast services. In 1975, a third control tower was built, located right in front of (the yet to be built) Terminal A.
In 1976, charter planes started operating to Trondheim, after a barracks was rebuilt to facilitate a border control. Several plans for a lager terminal were made, but these were delayed. In the late 1970s, the tarmac was expanded and a new taxiway built. Braathens SAFE opened a new 2750 square metres (3,289 sq yd) hangar in 1979. The third terminal opened as an extension of the old one in May 1982. It was 5500 square metres (6,577.9 sq yd) and the old terminal was converted to a cafeteria. Due to a heavy increase in traffic, the new terminal quickly became too small. During 1985 and 1986, a major overhaul of the main runway was made; it was dismantled and a new foundation and surface was laid. A number of new military buildings were constructed, along with six stands for large cargo aircraft and a new fuel system. In 1988, smaller adjustments, including new washrooms and longer baggage belts, were installed at the terminal. From 1986, Braathens SAFE retired its Fokker F-28, and the West Coast route to Molde was subcontracted to Busy Bee
Busy Bee
Busy Bee of Norway, branded simply Busy Bee was an airline that operated in Norway between 1966 and 1992. The airline was started by Braathens S.A.F.E under the name Busy Bee Air Service. The airline flew charter and wet lease for Braathens SAFE and Scandinavian Airlines with Fokker F-27, Fokker 50...
, who started to serve Værnes with their Fokker F-27, and later Fokker 50, aircraft. In 1992, SAS Cargo built a 1440 square metres (1,722.2 sq yd) facility. After Busy Bee's bankruptcy, the regional services were taken over by Norwegian Air Shuttle from 22 January 1993.
Fourth terminal and deregulation
The fourth and current domestic terminal was opened on 15 November 1994. It is 15000 square metres (17,939.9 sq yd) and has place for eight planes, of which five have jet bridges. Værnes became the first airport in the Nordic CountriesNordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
with a train station in the terminal, when Trondheim Airport Station opened. In March 1996, the old terminal was named Terminal B and all international flights were moved there. A new taxiway, which extended the full length of the runway, was opened in 1999, after more artificial land has been created and a second tunnel built for the highway and railway.
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...
opened on 8 October 1998, replacing the congested Fornebu. For the first time, an airline could receive sufficient landing slots to challenge SAS and Braathens on domestic routes. The low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
Color Air
Color Air
Color Air AS was the first Norwegian low-cost airline. It operated from Oslo Airport, Gardermoen in 1998 and 1999 with a fleet of three Boeing 737-300 aircraft. Color Air was a brand extension of Color Line, which shared a common owner in the Olav Nils Sunde-controlled Color Group...
was established, and started flights from Oslo to Trondheim using Boeing 737-300 aircraft. SAS and Braathens also saw the opportunity to increase the frequency on the route, and the three airlines between them introduced 39 daily flights. This made the route the fourth-busiest in Europe in terms of the number of aircraft. During this period, there were 84 daily departures to all destinations from Værnes. Color Air filed for bankruptcy on 27 September 1999, ending a price war
Price war
Price war is a term used in economic sector to indicate a state of intense competitive rivalry accompanied by a multi-lateral series of price reduction. One competitor will lower its price, then others will lower their prices to match. If one of them reduces their price again, a new round of...
which had cost the airlines NOK 3 billion.
By April 2000, the number of services by the main airlines was reduced to less than the level before the opening of Gardermoen, with 75 daily departures. Braathens had 33 daily departures, SAS had 22 and Widerøe had 20. Of Braathens' services, 14 were to Oslo, 15 to cities on the West Coast (of which four were operated by Norwegian Air Shuttle) and four were to Bodø, Harstad/Narvik and Tromsø. SAS operated 15 daily flights to Oslo, while eight were operated to Bodø, Harstad/Narvik and Tromsø. One flight was to their main hub in Copenhagen. This was the last year that SAS used DC-9s to Trondheim, phasing in Boeing 737 Next Generation
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, supplemented by occasional MD-80s. Widerøe had 15 daily flights to STOLports in Helgeland, and five flights to Sandefjord.
In 2002, SAS acquired Braathens, and the two companies coordinated their routes. All flights from Trondheim to Oslo were taken over by SAS, who increased to 23 departures per day in each direction. This included a 30-minute headway
Headway
Headway is a measurement of the distance/time between vehicles in a transit system. The precise definition varies depending on the application, but it is most commonly measured as the distance from the tip of one vehicle to the tip of the next one behind it, expressed as the time it will take for...
from 06:30 to 09:30 and from15:30 to 19:00. This made the route Trondheim–Oslo the busiest in the country. The routes northwards were taken over by Braathens, who increased to six daily trips to Bodø with connections northwards. The daily trip with Braathens to Harstad/Narvik was replaced by a two round trips with SAS Commuter. Braathens retained the routes to the West Coast, with two flights to Ålesund and seven to Bergen. In addition, Norwegian Air Shuttle continued with two flights to Molde. In 2004, SAS and Braathens merged to form 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...
. The airline changed its name back to Scandinavian Airlines in 2007.
From 1 September 2002, Norwegian Air Shuttle converted from a regional airline to a low-cost carrier and started competing on the route to Oslo. From 5 May 2003, Norwegian started a daily domestic service 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...
, from 17 April 2004, they introduced two weekly services to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, and from 26 June to Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. From 30 October, Norwegian introduced one weekly flight to Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, from 4 November, they introduced five weekly services to London Stansted Airport
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In 2005, Terminal B received a major upgrade, increasing the passenger area with 1000 square metres (1,196 sq yd). The airport was also rebuilt to 100% security control. The terminal received a new border control
Border control
Border controls are measures used by a country to monitor or regulate its borders.The control of the flow of many people, animals and goods across a border may be controlled by government Customs services. Security is enforced by various kinds of Border Guards and Coast Guards...
for flights to countries outside 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...
and a duty free store for both departing and arriving passengers. A new 55 metres (180.4 ft) tall control tower was also built.
From 7 January 2006, Norwegian started a seasonal winter service to Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
; from 7 May 2006, they introduced one weekly service to Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; On 1 April 2008, they started two weekly round trips to Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
; and from 1 June 2008, Norwegian introduced one daily evening flight to 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...
. In 2009, a new indoor parking lot opened, with a capacity of 1,200 cars. It replaced a site with 225 parking places and cost NOK 125 million. The same year saw the opening of the Radisson Blu hotel, costing NOK 220 million, and a new fire station for NOK 80 million. From 31 October 2009, Norwegian started a weekly service to Las Palmas, Spain. On 31 January 2010, SAS operated its last service to Molde. To compensate, the Molde-based Krohn Air
Krohn Air
Krohn Air AS is a virtual, regional airline which flies from Molde Airport, Årø to Trondheim Airport, Værnes in Norway. The airline has a British Aerospace Jetstream 32, which is operated by Helitrans...
was established to start flights between Værnes and Molde Airport, Årø
Molde Airport, Årø
Molde Airport, Årø is located in the city of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It serves Molde and the surrounding district of Romsdal. The airport sits about east of the city. After opening in 1972, services have been mainly to Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim...
on 3 February, using Dornier 328
Dornier 328
|-See also:- References :* Swanborough, Gordon. "Dornier 328: A Daimler for Commuters". Air International, March 1992, Vol. 42 No. 3. pp. 123–128. ISSN 0306-5634....
aircraft operated by Sun Air of Scandinavia
Sun Air of Scandinavia
Sun Air of Scandinavia is an airline based in Billund, Billund Municipality, Denmark. It is a regional scheduled airline operating a franchise service in British Airways colours. It also offers charter flights, air taxi services, specialist aerial work and aircraft brokerage. Its main base is...
.
On 22 February 2010, 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...
commenced two daily round trips to Åre Östersund Airport and Stockholm-Bromma Airport
Stockholm-Bromma Airport
Stockholm-Bromma Airport is an airport in Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm-Bromma Airport is located west northwest of downtown Stockholm and is the closest to the city...
in Sweden. From 28 March 2010, Norwegian moved its three weekly services to London from Stansted to London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
. From 10 June to 30 August 2010, 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 operate two weekly services to their hub Keflavík International Airport
Keflavík International Airport
-Cargo airlines:-Ground transport:Transport between the airport and Reykjavik city is by road only. The distance is 50 km. A new fast freeway was opened 2008. The buses have a timetable adapted to the flight schedule. They go to and from the Reykjavik bus terminal, taking around 45 minutes...
using 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...
aircraft.
Future
In a master plan from 2006, Avinor has identified several key development issues to increase the capacity of the airport. For Terminal A, the plans call to keep the existing structure, and gradually expand it westwards, eventually passing over the railway on a culvertCulvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
. Along the area between the railway and the highway, a south pier is planned to be constructed, with the inside facing immediately towards the railway and the outside having aircraft stands. In the short term, this is planned with six stands for regional aircraft, with a single-story building. Then gates 36 and 37 at the east end of Terminal A can be rebuilt with jetbridges. The remaining stands currently used for regional aircraft will then be converted to international gates. While Avinor states that there is need for an expansion of Terminal B, no concrete solution has been found, in part because of the lack of space in the area, although this can partially be fixed by removing the general aviation from the area.
At both ends of the runway, the taxiway ends 150 metres (492.1 ft) from the start of the runway, forcing aircraft which need the full length to backtrack. An extension of the taxiways would help with this problem. Both at Terminal A and B, there will be a need for double taxiways. This will result in insufficient space for general aviation at its current location, and this has been proposed moved eastwards past the military installations. Several airlines, in particular Helitrans, has indicated need for more space. Proposals have been made to establish 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...
to allow flight to 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 on the Norwegian continental shelf
Norwegian continental shelf
The Norwegian continental shelf is the continental shelf over which Norway exercises sovereign rights as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea...
. The military has suggested to fill inn a large section of the river delta at the west end of the runway, and move some of the cargo and helicopter operations there, but environmental concerns have been raised by among others Avinor. The cost of establishing access to the artificial land is also high. By 2050, there may be need for a second, parallel runway to meet demand, and initial plans call for a 1199 metres (3,933.7 ft) runway which would be used by general aviation, regional airlines and helicopters.
Between 2009 and 2011, Avinor is extending the runway with 150 metres (492.1 ft) into the fjord. The masses used for this are coming from the construction of the near-by Gevingåsen Tunnel
Gevingåsen Tunnel
Gevingåsen Tunnel is a railway tunnel under construction between Hommelvik and Hell, Norway, on the Nordland Line. Blasting was started in 2009, and the tunnel is scheduled for completion in 2011 at a cost of...
on the Nordland Line, which will help shorten the travel time of the airport rail link
Airport rail link
An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport from an airport to a nearby city; by mainline- or commuter trains, rapid transit, people mover or light rail...
to Trondheim and increase frequency. Once finished, the line may be electrified. Plans have been launched to construct a high-speed railway from Trondheim to Steinkjer, which would allow a high-speed connection to Trondheim Central Station in 13 minutes. This may be part of a project to build a high-speed, which could cannibalize
Cannibalization of machine parts
Cannibalization of machine parts, in maintenance of mechanical or electronic systems with interchangeable parts, refers to the practice of removing parts or subsystems necessary for repair from another similar device, rather than from inventory, usually when resources become limited...
ridership from the airport. Work has commenced on building the E6 northwards to a four-lane highway 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Værnes past Stjørdal. This is scheduled for completion in 2013.
Accidents and incidents
- Braathens SAFE Flight 139Braathens SAFE Flight 139Braathen SAFE Flight 139 was an aircraft hijacking that occurred in Norway on 21 June 1985. The incident took place on a Boeing 737-205 belonging to Braathens SAFE that was on a scheduled flight from Trondheim Airport, Værnes to Oslo Airport, Fornebu. The hijacker was Stein Arvid Huseby, who was...
occurred on 21 June 1985, when a Boeing 737-200 from Braathens SAFE on route from Værnes to Oslo Airport, Fornebu was hijackedAircraft hijackingAircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
by a drunk student who demanded to talk to the prime minister and minister of justice. The plane landed at Fornebu, and the hijacker eventually surrendered his gun in exchange for more beer. No-one was injured in the incident. - On 23 February 1987, a Douglas DC-9 from Scandinavian Airlines landing at Værnes en route from Bodø Airport was written off after a hard landing on the runway. This was caused by a high sink rate caused by the pilot interrupting the landing checklist and forgetting to arm the spoilers. No-one was killed in the accident.