Faroe Island airport set a new passenger record in 2013
Vagar Airport on the Faroe Islands set a new record of 236,181 passengers in 2013, in spite of no offshore activities in 2013. Passenger numbers rose by a total of 4.7 per cent year on year.
The last 10 years traffic to and from Vagar Airport has increased by some 42 per cent. The main destination is Denmark, followed by Norway, Iceland and the UK.
Longer runway and more traffic
After the current runway was extended from 1,250 meters to 1,799 meters in December 2011, there has been a steady stream of different types of aircrafts and operators arriving and departing Vagar Airport. Today, Atlantic Airways is the only airline, which on a regular basis connects the Faroe Islands and Europe. Atlantic Airways now has three Airbus 319 and one BA 146.
Another record-breaker was the arrival of a chartered Airbus 320 from Austrian. The A320 was the biggest aircraft ever to operate on Vagar Airport.
In May 2014, Vagar Airport expects that construction of a new terminal and service building will be finalized.
“It is very important for the airport that the terminal with new taxfree-facilities and new restaurants will be ready for the 2014 summer-season. Not being a part of the European Union, tax-free revenue is a very lucrative part of the revenue-base of the airport”, says Jákup Sverri Kass, CEO of Vagar Airport
Vagar Airport is opening up to the world
Vagar Airport is glad that Atlantic Airways has managed to increase their range of destinations and numbers of passengers. Commercially, the airport is able and ready to assist any operator to increase the number of destinations to and from the Faroe Islands
Reflected by the management team of the airport, the airport is always ready to discuss all possibilities that can result in more traffic to and from the islands. In 2013, the airport has given discounts on campaign targeting slow periods and new routes.
“Representative from three European airlines have visited the Faroe Islands in 2013 and we are at all times very keen to facilitate and arrange whatever needed. All approaches by airlines and/or operators that are interested in developing traffic to and from the Faroe Islands, approaches will be handled professionally, discrete and fast”, said Jákup Sverri Kass, CEO at Vagar Airport.
He added that Vagar Airport hopes to forge some new relations at Routes Europe in Marseille in April.
Positive outlook for 2014
“Vagar Airport meets 2014 with optimism. Visit Faroe Islands has doubled their marketing-funds, the government has lowered fees on air-ticket, imports and cargo-volumes to and from the Faroe Islands are on the increase and Statoil has announced that they will launch activities in the Faroese underground in April 2014 and will continue for up to six months”, he added.
See more on the development and expansion at Vagar Airport on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_tY58yfyCs&feature=youtu.be
