Once a military airfield, Stockholm Skavsta is today 91% owned by a Canadian pension fund, OMERS; the remainder is owned by Nyköping Municipality. “The owners pursue the common goal to establish Stockholm Skavsta Airport as a major Stockholm gateway, using its capacity to the full,” points out Mats Rodgerson, Commercial Director. “We are working together to meet infrastructural challenges in the growing Stockholm area. We consider Stockholm Skavsta Airport the adequate answer, along with a high-speed rail link that is currently under negotiation.”
About 3.5 million people live in the area south of Stockholm today, many of them ethnic groups with family in Turkey, the Middle East or North Africa. “These groups are likely to travel a lot and provide great potential for new or existing airlines,” comments Mr. Rodgerson. “The same applies to the large number of Swedish citizens working abroad. The new low-cost airlines may have even encouraged the trend towards international work and travel – a development that has by no means reached its peak yet.”
Stockholm Skavsta Airport is strategically located one hour from the center of Stockholm, 100 km south of the city, right next to the main E4 highway. The planned rail link will incorporate a station within the airport area. Additionally, there are various bus connections.
“At present most travellers come by car or bus,” says the airport’s Commercial Director. “Our airport is relatively small, which means that both long-term and short-term parking are located close to the main terminal. At the same time, our infrastructure is excellent with a 3,000 m runway that is even suitable for A340 or Boeing 747 aircraft.”
Another major advantage is the company’s fully comprehensive security schedule, installed and managed by an external organization. This schedule is applied 24 hours a day and provides a safe and secure airport environment for both the passengers and the airlines.
A terminal building that is capable of handling three million passengers a year and designed for further expansion completes the impression of a dynamically developing airport with great potential. The bright, modern and efficient terminal welcomes passengers and visitors with retail shops, restaurants, a currency exchange, a business lounge and a three-star hotel.
Online booking of parking spaces is just one of the services that add to passengers’ comfort and convenience. Stockholm Skavsta offers 47 destinations at present, 34 of them by Ryanair and 13 by Wizz Air. “Ryanair established its first Scandinavian base here 20 years ago, and Wizz Air followed suit,” says Mr. Rodgerson. “We are the pioneering airport of low fares in Scandinavia and an ideal base for tour operators and airlines alike.”
He sees further possibilities in Germany, Britain and Portugal, where new destinations are being created. Flights and landings that generally take place on time thanks to the favourable air traffic conditions in southern Sweden, a fast and flexible service organization, dependability even in bad weather and capacities that could easily be extended from currently 25,000 to 75,000 landings are further assets that qualify Stockholm Skavsta Airport as the southern Stockholm gateway to affordable air travel.