The new part of Oslo Airport Gardermoen opened Thursday and makes the airport almost twice as big.
– This will give Norway increased competitiveness internationally. For Norway, it is important for a well-functioning hub as Oslo airport, and the surplus contributes to financing the remaining aviation network throughout Norway, CEO at Avinor, Dag Falk-Petersen, said during the official opening on Thursday morning.
NOK 14 billion
The airport has renumbered the gates and gained large new areas. Avinor therefore recommends that travelers turn off the ‘autopilot’ and pay heed to the altered signboards. In return, there is better room, more restaurants, bars and shops.
The development of Oslo Airport has cost NOK 14 billion and has added 21 new gates, 117,000 square meters of floor space and a completely new luggage handling system.
– That the development has been completed almost without travellers noticing anything and that Oslo Airport has been named Europe’s most punctual airport three times in the building period, is something we are very proud of, says Falk-Petersen.
International
On Thursday morning Chairman of the Board in Avinor, Ola M. Rinnan, Airport Director at Oslo Airport, Øyvind Hasaas, and Managing Director of NHO, Kristin Skogen Lund were present at the inauguration.
– Norway is dependent on a well-functioning main airport. Now we have got a big international airport that the whole nation can be proud of.
– This is a state-owned prestigious project that has opened on schedule, on budget and Avinor has good reason to be proud of the job that has been done, said Minister of Transport, Ketil Solvik-Olsen (Frp) in his speech.
Since Oslo Airport Gardermoen was opened in 1998, the number of passengers has increased from 17 to 24 million annually. Six years ago, the project began to make the airport almost twice as big. Thei mproved airport will have a capacity of 32 million travellers annually.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
