May breaks all time record for Faroe Islands airport
MAY 2013 has proven to be the busiest month ever in the history of the Faroe Islands Airport, figures released today show. The figure was 7.6 percent higher than for May 2012.
All told some 81,326 have passed through the terminal so far in 2013. This is a rise of 8.7 per cent or 6527 passengers, compared with 2012. Compared to the same period ten years ago in 2003, the airport has seen a remarkable growth of 35 per cent.
The result of a longer runway and record high regularity
In December 2011, the extension of the runway from 1250 meters to 1977 was completed and by August 2012, Vagar Airport saw the completion of the fitting of new navigational instruments. The result of the new navigational instruments has been that the airport now has the status of a CAT 1 airport.
The construction of the new terminal is on schedule and is expected to be finished by May 2014.
Offshore activity in 2014
At an oil conference in Torshavn, Rúni Hansen, head of Statoil's Arctic division, recently announced that they will go ahead with drilling two wells in the Faroese underground in 2014. They expect to start operations in the first quarter of 2014.
Exiting future prospects
“The 2013 figures are looking very positive and the introduction of their Airbus 319 number two, Atlantic Airways is leading the way for a potential record-breaking 2013 in terms of passenger-figures” said Jákup Sverri Kass, CEO at Vagar Airport.
Faroese unemployment is down, people are travelling more and we have more inbound business and leisure traffic from mainly Europe. Travel tax will be dramatically reduced in October 2013 and Visit Faroe Islands has been given a double up on marketing-funds from the Faroese Government,” he added.
Today Atlantic Airways is the only carrier that serves regular traffic to and from the Faroe Islands.
“We have had direct and indirect enquiries from other European airlines the past year; but so far this has not materialized to a proposed seasonal route or whole year service to and from the Faroe Islands. We are open to all opportunities that might come, so let’s see what happens”, says the CEO
