Norway’s Avinor Oslo airport has officially opened, expanding its capacity to approximately 32 million passengers per year.
Construction began in 2011, with the new 117,000 square meter area making the total airport 265,000m². There are 11 new jet bridges, 37 restaurants, 10 kiosks, 21 shops and 10 new remote aircraft parking spaces.
Avinor chairman Ola Mørkved Rinnan said, “This is an important day for Norwegian aviation, and we are very proud of the new Oslo Airport. We are happy that it was delivered on time and within budget, while maintaining a high quality.
“The thousands of people that have worked day and night since the resolution to expand was made in the spring of 2011 deserve a big round of applause.”
The minister for transport and communications Ketil Solvik-Olsen and CEO of Avinor Dag Falk-Petersen tied a ribbon together at the opening to symbolize that ‘Avinor ties Norway together’.
Speaking about the expansion, Falk-Petersen commented, “We have invested Nkr14bn in this expansion, and it will make Norway more competitive on an international level. It is important for Norway to have a well-functioning hub, which Oslo Airport is to us, and the profit from this is used to finance the rest of the Norwegian aviation network.
“We are very proud of the fact that the expansion has been completed without really affecting the passengers, and that Oslo Airport has been named the most punctual airport in Europe three times during this period”.
The expansion was deemed essential due to increased traffic and a prognosis indicating a higher rate of growth in years to come. The airport has almost doubled in size, with all gates being renamed.
Managing director Øyvind Hansaas said, “We have been looking forward to this day for years, and now we can finally announce our official opening. This paves the way for great customer experiences, with more room, restaurants and shops.
“We now offer even better airline facilities, and this hopefully means more direct routes to large and important markets around the world.
“There are many new features, and it is important to pay attention to the new layout both before arrival and while navigating the airport. Throughout the rest of 2017, there will still be some sporadic construction work, and we will be introducing more new, exciting shops and restaurants in the months to come.
“The goal is that our passengers and collaborators at the airport will be happy with our work and proud of their airport.”