Gothenburg City Airport
Encyclopedia
Gothenburg City Airport or Göteborg City Airport , formerly (and still informally) known as Säve Flygplats, is Gothenburg
's second international airport
, located 5 NM north-west from the centre of Gothenburg on the island of Hisingen
, Bohuslän
, Sweden
. It is located within the borders of Gothenburg Municipality
, hence its name. Prior to the arrival of Ryanair
in 2001, the airport had 9,000 passengers per year. 844,000 passengers flew from City Airport in 2008. In addition to commercial airlines, the airport is also operated by a number of rescue services, including the Swedish Coast Guard
.
Although it's primarily a low-cost airline airport, it is actually located closer to Gothenburg city centre than the main (Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport
with 4.36 million passengers in 2007), even if the driving time is around the same. It is one of the few city airports Ryanair operates to. Due to its location many business jet
s prefer flying to City Airport rather than Landvetter. Gothenburg City Airport can handle planes up to the size of a Boeing 767
, an Airbus A320
or similar jets. The airport also accommodates General Aviation activities, including 2 flying clubs, Aeroklubben i Göteborg, one of Europe's oldest flying clubs, and Chalmers
flygklubb.
departure and arrival, terminating at the Nils Ericson Terminal
in central Gothenburg (they take about 30 minutes and cost 60 SEK
).
It is possible to use normal suburbian buses (Västtrafik
), which stop at the main road 600 m from the terminal (57°46.931′N 11°51.726′E). However tickets must be pre-bought, since they are not sold onboard, nor at the airport. With a mobile phone having a Swedish operator, a ticket can be bought through a text message, but not if using a foreign mobile phone.
Taxis and rental cars are available at the airport. To find the airport driving yourself, use the exit 82 on the E6 north of the city. Long and short term parking are available.
was built here. The airbase was closed down in 1969. In 1977, the old airport Torslanda (about 10 km south of Säve) was closed down, and scheduled flights moved to Landvetter, and general aviation was moved to Säve. In 1984, the runway was improved and extended to allow larger business jets etc. In 2001, the airport was renamed City Airport, and Ryanair started operating scheduled flights to London.
cited competition from low-cost air services, especially Ryanair (which now flies to Glasgow Prestwick and London Stansted from Gothenburg City Airport), as being a reason for its scrapping the Newcastle-Gothenburg
ferry service in October 2006. It was the only dedicated passenger ferry service between Sweden and the United Kingdom
, and had been running since the 19th century (under various operators).
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
's second international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
, located 5 NM north-west from the centre of Gothenburg on the island of Hisingen
Hisingen
Hisingen is the fourth-largest island of Sweden , with an area of , and the most populous, forming part of Gothenburg Municipality, Västra Götaland County. It is bordered by the Göta älv in the south and east, the Nordre älv in the north, and the Kattegat in the west...
, Bohuslän
Bohuslän
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea to the west, and the county of Østfold in Norway to the north...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. It is located within the borders of Gothenburg Municipality
Gothenburg Municipality
Gothenburg Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Gothenburg....
, hence its name. Prior to the arrival of Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
in 2001, the airport had 9,000 passengers per year. 844,000 passengers flew from City Airport in 2008. In addition to commercial airlines, the airport is also operated by a number of rescue services, including the Swedish Coast Guard
Swedish Coast Guard
The Swedish Coast Guard is a Swedish civilian government agency tasked with:* maritime surveillance and other control and inspection tasks as well as environmental cleanup after oil spills at sea....
.
Although it's primarily a low-cost airline airport, it is actually located closer to Gothenburg city centre than the main (Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport
Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport
Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport is an international airport serving the Gothenburg region in Sweden. With 4.3 million passengers in 2006 it is Sweden's second-largest airport...
with 4.36 million passengers in 2007), even if the driving time is around the same. It is one of the few city airports Ryanair operates to. Due to its location many business jet
Business jet
Business jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...
s prefer flying to City Airport rather than Landvetter. Gothenburg City Airport can handle planes up to the size of a Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
, an Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
or similar jets. The airport also accommodates General Aviation activities, including 2 flying clubs, Aeroklubben i Göteborg, one of Europe's oldest flying clubs, and Chalmers
Chalmers University of Technology
Chalmers University of Technology , is a Swedish university located in Gothenburg that focuses on research and education in technology, natural science and architecture.-History:...
flygklubb.
Ground Transport
There are bus services that match every Ryanair and Wizz AirWizz Air
Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Kft. is a Hungarian low-cost airline with headquarters in the Airport Business Park C2 in Vecsés, close to Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, Hungary. The airline typically uses secondary airports serving many cities across Europe.- History :The airline was...
departure and arrival, terminating at the Nils Ericson Terminal
Nils Ericson Terminal
The Nils Ericson Terminal is a major bus terminus in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is placed in the city centre just next to Gothenburg Central Station , and across the street from the main Nordstan shopping centre. The main street and most hotels are within walking distance from the terminal.The...
in central Gothenburg (they take about 30 minutes and cost 60 SEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
).
It is possible to use normal suburbian buses (Västtrafik
Västtrafik
Västtrafik is the agency responsible for public transport services involving buses, ferries, trains, and the Göteborg tramway in the county of Västra Götaland, Sweden. Until 31 December 2011 the ownership is shared equally between the Västra Götaland Regional Council and the 49 municipalities in...
), which stop at the main road 600 m from the terminal (57°46.931′N 11°51.726′E). However tickets must be pre-bought, since they are not sold onboard, nor at the airport. With a mobile phone having a Swedish operator, a ticket can be bought through a text message, but not if using a foreign mobile phone.
Taxis and rental cars are available at the airport. To find the airport driving yourself, use the exit 82 on the E6 north of the city. Long and short term parking are available.
History
In 1940, a military airbase called SäveF 9 Säve
F 9 Säve, Göta Flygflottilj, Göta Air Force Wing, or simply "F 9", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located near Gothenburg in south-west Sweden.- History of the airbase :...
was built here. The airbase was closed down in 1969. In 1977, the old airport Torslanda (about 10 km south of Säve) was closed down, and scheduled flights moved to Landvetter, and general aviation was moved to Säve. In 1984, the runway was improved and extended to allow larger business jets etc. In 2001, the airport was renamed City Airport, and Ryanair started operating scheduled flights to London.
Competition
DFDS SeawaysDFDS
DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede...
cited competition from low-cost air services, especially Ryanair (which now flies to Glasgow Prestwick and London Stansted from Gothenburg City Airport), as being a reason for its scrapping the Newcastle-Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
ferry service in October 2006. It was the only dedicated passenger ferry service between Sweden and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and had been running since the 19th century (under various operators).
Airlines and destinations
See also
- List of the largest airports in the Nordic countries