The Avinor Board has approved the construction of a new Bodø Airport in Norway for Nkr7.2bn (US$720m).
The new Bodø Airport will be located around 900m to the south of the present airport and is scheduled to be open and operational in 2029, with its official opening expected in 2029/2030. The current airport will remain operational until the day before the new airport opens for operations. The airport company asserts that the first contract will be announced in the first week of January 2023. This will be the contract for the construction of the runway, taxiways, aircraft stands and other external infrastructure, also referred to as ‘contract E02 airside’.
The cost of Avinor’s development project does not include the purchase of land and excludes financing costs. Avinor Group’s board of directors approved Avinor’s financial contribution to the project in the amount of Nkr2.6bn (US$260m). The remainder will be funded by the government and by local funds.
According to Avinor, the process to reach this decision has been challenging. In January 2022, the board resolved to postpone its decision due to several reasons, including the company’s finances following Covid-19. Avinor’s loss of income because of the pandemic in the period 2020-2022 has amounted to Nkr16bn (US$1.6bn).
In June 2022, the board approved its principled endorsement of the airport project and made it clear that a final decision to proceed with construction would only be made when a number of key aspects of the project were fully clarified. A partnership between the municipality of Bodø, the Norwegian Armed Forces and Avinor has led to the decision that will see Avinor build a new airport.
Abraham Foss, CEO of Avinor, said, “We are going to build a new airport, and the urban development project will have a major impact on the entire region. It goes without saying that this has been a difficult issue for Avinor. On the one hand, we are keen to develop a new airport and we have always been clear about this. The municipality of Bodø is also keen to see a new airport built while also being given the opportunity to build a new neighborhood.
“At the same time, this is a very costly project that will have an impact on Avinor’s finances for many years to come. This is a big project for Avinor, the municipality of Bodø and the Norwegian Armed Forces. It is only natural that the path to a final decision has been rather long and winding, even if all parties involved had a clear desire to get it over the finishing line. We are really looking forward to working with the municipality and other partners to realize a future-oriented, modern airport.”
