Sosialurin is addressing the inner primitive person
Sosialurin uses its 22. Feb. 2010 leader, to report about false preconditions for the airport. The leader arouses all of the most primitive feelings of its readers, by insinuating falsities, mistakes and incompetence. Information and figures, which are completely unfounded in reality, are tabled as facts
A tendentious leader, which addresses the inner primitive person of its readers, was printed in Sosialurin on the 22. of February.
“Documentation” in the article overflows with mistakes, which are so removed from reality, that they merit correction.
Series of misinformation
In the first paragraph of the leader, reference is made to a letter from the undersigned regarding user charges, which have remained stagnant for eight years. This is correct. That I also mention in the same letter, that the airport has sustained a loss during the same period is omitted from the leader. The aforementioned letter can be read in its entirety at: www.floghavn.fo.
Sosialurin says reality is, that Vagar Airport has only one client. This is completely beside the point. Vagar Airport has 200.001 clients annually. The 200.000 clients are the passengers, who traverse the airport. The one client referred to, is Atlantic Airways, which transports them to and from the airport.
Sosialurin says opening hours have been reduced. They are not. Quite the contrary, opening hours have been increased by one hour in the morning.
Sosialurin says the user charges, which Atlantic Airways paid Vagar Airport in 2008, amounted to D.kr 18 million. They did not. For 2008, Atlantic Airways paid Vagar Airport D.kr 5 million in user charges.
Sosialurin says the user charges, which Atlantic Airways will pay in 2010, will increase to D.kr 32 million. They will not. They are estimated to be between D.kr 5,3 and 6,3 million.
Sosialurin says the growth in charges for Atlantic Airways is D.kr 14 million. It is not. It will be between D.kr 0,3 and 1,0 million.
Practical charge
Regarding our other 200.000 now departed and expectant new passengers, the departing passengers paid in 2008 D.kr 130 each. The corresponding figure for 2010 will be D.kr 175 each. Passengers arriving to the country pay nothing.
For practical reasons, the user charge is included in the price of the passenger ticket paid to Atlantic Airways, who then transfer the money on to Vagar Airport. This charge however, has no association with the operational running of Atlantic Airways.
Cohesion in price
Sosialurin is critical that a longer runway is associated with cheaper flight tickets. In this respect, the opinion of P/F Vagar Airport is, that a longer runway will create the opportunity of utilising larger more efficient aircraft, utilising the same number of staff as the smaller aircraft, will take more passengers and use less fuel per passenger.
This ought to be reflected in the ticket price.
Pay ourselves or include a loss in the national budget
To operate an airport costs money. It is necessary for Vagar Airport to generate the income required to operate a secure and safe airport. It would seem fair that passenger pay for themselves.
The alternative is, that a loss be deferred to the public national budget, which has previously been the case over the past many years.
Pleased with progress
When, after several decades, it now seems plausible an expansion of the airport is in the pipeline, I think it is correct to be pleased about this, instead of issuing restraint and irking in itself a relatively small increase in user charges.
Correct information is necessary
Sosialurin ought to improve its sourcing work and ensure that all figures and information are correct. In this manner it is possible to write leaders, which are nearing the truth.
The 200.001 clients of Vagar Airport, can look forward to an exciting future with new opportunities and the basis for an efficient operation.
Mr Dávid Reinert Hansen, CEO
P/F Vagar Airport
