Oslo Airport, Fornebu was the main airport serving
Oslois the capital and largest city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the town was largely destroyed by a fire in 1624. The Danish–Norwegian king Christian IV rebuilt the city as Christiania . Oslo, then an alternative name, became official again in 1925...
and Eastern Norway from 1 June 1939 to 7 October 1998. It was then replaced by
Oslo Airport, GardermoenOslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving the Norwegian capital city of Oslo. It is also the main international airport serving Norway, with flights to a large number of European airports, and some flights to other continents. It is located at Gardermoen in Ullensaker, north...
and the area has since been redeveloped. The airport was located at
FornebuFornebu is a peninsular area in the suburban municipality of Bærum in Norway, bordering western parts of Oslo.Oslo Airport, Fornebu served as the main airport for Oslo and the country since before WWII and until the evening of October 7 1998, when it was closed down...
in
Bærumis a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the coast west of the city...
, from the city center. The airport had two runways, one 06/24 and one 01/19, and a capacity of 20 aircraft. In 1996, the airport had 170,823 aircraft movement and 10,072,054 passengers. The airport served as a
hubAn airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
for
Scandinavian Airlines SystemScandinavian Airlines System is the multi-national airline of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the leading carrier in these Scandinavian countries. Its home base is at Stockholm, Sweden. and owned by SAS AB. It is a founding member of the Star Alliance and the founder of Air Greenland, Linjeflyg,...
, Braathens SAFE and
WiderøeWiderøes Flyveselskap ASA, trading as Widerøe, is the largest regional airline in the Nordic countries, having a turnover of NOK 1.8 billion and carrying 1.5 million passengers. Widerøes Flyveselskap ASA operates 29 Dash 8 aircraft to 35 destinations in Norway and 6 destinations abroad . The...
. In 1996, additional 21 airlines served 28 international destinations. Due to limited terminal and runway capacity, intercontinental and charter airlines used Gardermoen.
The airport opened as a combined sea and land airport, serving both domestic and international destinations. It replaced the land airport at
KjellerKjeller Airport is a military and general aviation airport located in Kjeller, Norway, near Lillestrøm and east northeast of Oslo. It has facilities for carrying out maintenance for aircraft belonging to the Royal Norwegian Air Force....
and the sea airport at
GressholmenGressholmen Airport was the main airport serving Oslo, Norway from 1927 to 1939, until the construction of Fornebu Airport. The airport was on the islet of Gressholmen, and was only for seaplanes...
. In 1940, it was taken over by the German
LuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956.Schweizer Luftwaffe is also the name of the Swiss Air...
, but civilian air services began again in 1946 and it was then taken over by the
Norwegian Civil Airport AdministrationAvinor AS is a state owned limited company in Norway that operates most of the civil airports in the country. The Norwegian state through the Ministry of Transport and Communications controls 100% of the share capital...
. The airport at first had three runways, each at , but these were gradually expanded, first the north-south runway and finally the east-west one to the current length in 1962. The same year the terminal moved to the south to the final location. Large-scale expansion to the terminal were made during the 1980s.
Background
Aviation in Oslo started in 1909, when Cederstrøm of Sweden had a flight show based at the fields at
EtterstadEtterstad is a neighborhood in Oslo, located between the river Alna and Strømsveien, north of Vålerenga. It was incorporated into Oslo in 1946, two years before the merger of Oslo and Aker. The area is mainly residential.-History:...
. Following this, the Norwegian Army decided that it needed a military land airport, and established itself at
KjellerKjeller is located near Lillestrøm in the municipality of Skedsmo, Norway. It is located 25 kilometers north of Oslo.Kjeller contains:*Kjeller Airport*Norwegian Defence Logistic Organization *The Norwegian Defense Research Establishment...
in
SkedsmoSkedsmo is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Romerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillestrøm. About one third of the municipal population lives in Lillestrøm. Other important towns are Skedsmokorset, Skjetten and...
outside Oslo in 1912.
Kjeller AirportKjeller Airport is a military and general aviation airport located in Kjeller, Norway, near Lillestrøm and east northeast of Oslo. It has facilities for carrying out maintenance for aircraft belonging to the Royal Norwegian Air Force....
served as the main airport for Norway until the 1930s, being the main base of the newly established
Norwegian Army Air ServiceThe Norwegian Army Air Service ' was established in 1914. Its main base and aircraft factory was at Kjeller. On 10 November, 1944 the NoAAS was joined with the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service to form the Royal Norwegian Air Force....
and the first place to have air services.
In 1918, the first Norwegian airline,
Det Norske LuftfartrederiDet Norske Luftfartrederi was Norway's first airline. The company was established 18 March 1918 with a significant capital of 3.3 million Norwegian kroner...
, was established, and plans were made to start flying to
Trondheimis a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The city of Trondheim was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
. The following year, civil aviation was for the first time discussed in the Norwegian Parliament. Norsk Luftfartsrederi wanted to start sea plane routes from Oslo, and applied to the state to be allowed to lease the island
LindøyaLindøya is a small island located in the Oslofjord, just south of central Oslo. Administratively it belongs to the borough of Gamle Oslo.In 1920, Lindøya was the Oslo base for the pioneer Norwegian airline, Det Norske Luftfartrederi, and its seaplanes. The operation only lasted until the autumn of...
for 99 years. The Oslo Port Authority recommended denying the application, since it would interfere with ship traffic and they were already negotiations with the state to purchase the island. The ministry recommended a ten-year lease.
Sam EydeSamuel Eyde was a Norwegian engineer and industrialist, the founder of Norsk Hydro and Elkem.-Biography:Sam Eyde was the son of a shipowner, and studied engineering in Berlin where he graduated in 1891. He started his career in Hamburg, working with the railways where he planned new lines, bridges...
, who was a member of parliament, recommended that the state should be responsible for all airports, and suggested a state-owned seaplane airport at
GressholmenGressholmen is an islet located in the Oslofjord, just south of central Oslo. Administratively it belongs to the borough of Gamle Oslo.Gressholmen airport was for the years 1927 through 1939 the location of the main airport for Oslo, until the construction of Fornebu airport. The airport was only...
. But no money was granted for construction of the airport until 1926, when Gressholmen Airport opened. Gressholmen was served by Norsk Luftfartsrederi and
LufthansaDeutsche Lufthansa AG is the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried, and the flag carrier of Germany. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fifth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried,...
.
During the late 1920s and early 1930s, the politicians became less satisfied with the solution. Kjeller was considered too far away from the city centre (about , but along the mainline railway), while transport to Gressholmen needed to be done by ferry. The politicians also wanted to have a combined land- and seaplane airport, and it had become clear that plans serving Gressholmen were interfering with ship traffic. A committee was established to look into the matter. While considering many locations, it made detail surveys of only two places:
EkebergEkeberg is a suburb of the city of Oslo, Norway. The Norway Cup soccer tournament takes place at Ekebergsletta every summer. The painting "the Scream" by Edvard Munch is painted from Utsikten a part of Ekeberg....
, located south-east of the city centre, and Fornebu, to the south-west.
Construction
At the time, Fornebu was a mostly unpopulated area. It had had a lumber mill until 1907 at
SnarøyaSnarøya is a populated peninsula in the inner Oslofjord in Norway. A suburb of Oslo, administratively and geographically it belongs to Bærum municipality in Akershus county. It is located south of the districts Lysaker, Lagåsen and Fornebu, and has 2,940 inhabitants.-History:Its name is derived...
(located on the southern tip). From 1921, Snarøya had received a coach service, and had be built with many single dwellings. About north-east of Fornebu is the town
LysakerLysaker is a section of and a postal code area of the Norwegian municipality of Bærum, just west of Oslo.Geographically, it is bordered by Lysakerelven on the east, which also forms the border to Oslo; Fornebu to the south; Stabekk to the west; and Jar to the north...
, that had a railway station on the Drammen Line. The committee decided to purchase on the northern part of the peninsula. The Fornebu-solution would be more expensive, but would give a larger airport and better landing conditions. The formal decision to build the airport was made in 1934.
It was the municipality of Oslo that built the airport, having bought the land from the municipality of Bærum. Construction was to serve as crating work for the unemployed, and workers were selected based on how long they had been unemployed and the number of people in their family. Because the need for workplaces was greatest in the winter, most of the construction was done during the winters of 1935, 1936 and 1937. Not until 1937 was a normal 48-hour week through the year introduced. of rock was blasted, and along with garbage from Oslo used to fill inn the swamps and depressions. Due to the delays, plans were changed and three runways were built, two long and one long. The airport was equipped with a
control towerA control tower, or more specifically an air traffic control tower, is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport...
, administration building, a
hangarA hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but wood and concrete are other materials used. The word hangar comes from a northern French dialect, and means "cattle pen."...
with a workshop and a service building. Docks for sea planes were constructed about to the south, on the east shore of the peninsula.
In 1934, there were three domestic airlines in Norway: Det Norske Luftfartsselskap (DNL), Norske Luftruter and
Widerøes FlyveselskapWiderøes Flyveselskap ASA, trading as Widerøe, is the largest regional airline in the Nordic countries, having a turnover of NOK 1.8 billion and carrying 1.5 million passengers. Widerøes Flyveselskap ASA operates 29 Dash 8 aircraft to 35 destinations in Norway and 6 destinations abroad . The...
. All three applied to the state for subsidies to operate routes. DNL applied for a ten-year
concessionA concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
with a annual subsidy to fly Oslo–
Kristiansandis a city, municipality and the county capital of Vest-Agder county in Southern Norway. Kristiansand municipality is the 6th largest in Norway with a population of 80,109 as of 1 January 2009...
–
AmsterdamAmsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country...
, continuing northwards towards
Ålesundis a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Jugendstil architecture....
. Widerøe applied for NOK 265,000 per year for a three-year concession for the sea plane routes Oslo–
BergenBergen is the second largest city in Norway, with a population of 253,600 as of July 2009. Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Economic Region, as defined by Statistics Norway, had a population of 385,450 as of January 2009.Bergen is located in the...
and Bergen–Trondheim. Norske Luftruter applied for NOK 250,000 per year for a route from Bergen to
CopenhagenCopenhagen ; ) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,167,569 and a metropolitan area with a population of 1,875,179...
via Kristiansand and Oslo. The following year, the parliament passed a long-term plan for construction of airport, that would be located in Oslo,
Telemarkis a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
, Kristiansand,
Stavangeris a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway. Stavanger was established as a municipality 1 January 1838...
, Bergen, Ålesund and Trondheim. In each case, the municipalities would have to purchase land and build the airport, but the state would reimburse 50% of the investments. Due to the high cost burden on the municipalities, only
Stavanger Airport, SolaStavanger Airport, Sola is an international airport located in the municipality of Sola, Norway, southwest of Stavanger. It is Norway's third largest airport, and, in addition to fixed-wing aircraft, it has significant helicopter traffic for the offshore North Sea oil installations...
and
Kristiansand Airport, KjevikKristiansand Airport, Kjevik is situated northeast of the city Kristiansand, Vest-Agder in southern Norway, located from the city centre. The airport serves the Agder district with domestic and international flights. In 2008 the airport had 915,092 passengers. The airport is operated by Avinor...
were operational by the time Fornebu opened.
Opening and war
The first airplane to land at Fornebu was a
Junkers Ju 52The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Lufthansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
operated by Lufthansa in September 1938. The plane had flown a scheduled route to Kjeller, and the captain had taken the plane onward to Fornebu to try out the new airport. On 16 April 1939, the seaplane section was taken into regular use. The first plane was a Ju 52 operated by DNL to Copenhagen. The official opening took place on 1 June 1939. The first plane to land after the official opening was a
Douglas DC-2The Douglas DC-2 was a 14-seat, twin-propeller airliner produced by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247...
operated by KLM from Amsterdam. The first departure was provided by the Danish airline Det Danske Luftfartsselskab, when a
Focke-Wulf Fw 200The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane that entered service as an airliner. Later versions for the Luftwaffe were used as long-range reconnaissance and anti-shipping bomber aircraft as well as transport planes for troops and VIPs.-Design and development:The Fw 200...
took off to Copenhagen. The captain made a mistake, and took off from the parking space instead of the runway. In addition to these two routes, Lufthansa started flights to Germany and DNL's route to Amsterdam. During the fall, a DNL also flew from
Perth, ScotlandPerth is a former royal burgh in central Scotland. Sitting on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative headquarters of Perth and Kinross council area. According to the 2001 census, its population is 43,450...
via Oslo to Stockholm, but this route was quickly cancelled.
As part of the
invasion of Norway by Nazi GermanyOperation Weserübung was the code name for Nazi Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during World War II and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
on 9 April 1940, German
LuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956.Schweizer Luftwaffe is also the name of the Swiss Air...
-aircraft landed at Fornebu. There was no attempt by the civilian airport authorities to hinder this, such as driving cars onto the runway, although several German aircraft collided with each other during the landing. A KLM-aircraft had a scheduled service that morning, and the captain was ordered to leave the passengers, take the crew return to Oslo. On 12 April, the airport was bombed by the British
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
. On 14 April, the KLM-captain was granted permission to fly back to Amsterdam with the crew, albeit without any passengers. The German military used Fornebu heavily during the war, but it was never of any strategic importance, since it was located far from any battle zones. During the war, the airport officially remained owned by the municipality. Ordered by German authorities, the main north-south runway was expanded to , and all facilities not yet built were completed. However, during the war all other runways than the main north-south were taken out of use. At the north end of the runway, the Luftwaffe built several hangars and a prison camp. Prisoners were during winter used to keep the runways free of snow, by marching along them and stomping the snow down.
In May 1945, as German forces were ousted from Norway, the airport was taken over by the
AlliesThe Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . The involvement of the Allies in World War II was either natural and inevitable they were invaded or under the direct threat of invasion by the Axis or compelled by concerns that the Axis powers...
and the
Royal Norwegian Air ForceThe Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . Six hundred personnel are also serving their one-year national service in the Air Force...
. None of the civilian airlines were in operation, and the Air Force itself started flying commercial flights. In addition to previous lines, a route was started to Northern Norway, although it had to be terminated for the winter. Due to a lack of qualified personnel, the international services had to be terminated too. In early 1946, management of the airport was transferred back to the municipality. Due to the technological development of aviation during the war, the runway needed to be expanded. The runway was sufficient for
Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Because of its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II it is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
aircraft, but insufficient for the larger
Douglas DC-4The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
planes. The latter were all used by American Overseas Airways, DNL's North America-routes and
British European AirwaysBritish European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
' route to
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, that were all transferred to
Oslo Airport, GardermoenOslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving the Norwegian capital city of Oslo. It is also the main international airport serving Norway, with flights to a large number of European airports, and some flights to other continents. It is located at Gardermoen in Ullensaker, north...
.
Expansion
In 1946, DNL launched plans to expand the north-south runway to by taking into use the whole peninsula. In addition, a second east-west runway should be built. The state took over ownership of the airport without compensation in 1946, albeit with the clause that if the airport ever should close, the real estate should be returned to the municipality. Stavanger Airport had been a candidate for intercontinental travel, but a state committee in 1949 decided that instead this should be shared between Fornebu and Gardermoen. Another committee was established in 1948, and in 1950 it recommended that all airport services in the Oslo region should be concentrated at Gardermoen, and that a new motorway be built to the airport. Among politicians there were two main ideologies. The first, which dominated in political circles, stated that Fornebu's close proximity to the city centre was a key to reaching a market in Oslo and for the growth of the airlines. The second emphasized that, in the long run, Fornebu could not fulfil the requirements of a central airport, and that a better location should be established.
Following the political processes, the north-south runway was extended to . With the completion of this, intercontinental traffic was moved from Gardermoen to Fornebu. In 1946,
Overseas Scandinavian Airlines SystemScandinavian Airlines System is the multi-national airline of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the leading carrier in these Scandinavian countries. Its home base is at Stockholm, Sweden. and owned by SAS AB. It is a founding member of the Star Alliance and the founder of Air Greenland, Linjeflyg,...
had been established between DNL, DDL and the Swedish Aerotransport. The same year, shipowner
Ludvig G. BraathenLudvig Gustav Braathen was a Norwegian entrepreneur that founded the shipping company Ludvig G. Braathens Rederi and the airline Braathens SAFE. He was CEO of both companies until his death.-Biography:...
established
Braathens South American and Far EastBraathens ASA, until 1997 known as Braathens S.A.F.E. or Braathens South American and Far East Air Transport A/S, is a defunct Norwegian airline that operated from 1946 until it merged with Scandinavian Airlines Norway to become SAS Braathens in 2004. The airline was based in Oslo, first at...
(Braathens SAFE) that started with charter flights using DC-4s. The first civilian route was KLM that started the route Oslo–Kristiansand–Amsterdam in March 1946 and from 1 April DNLs route to Copenhagen, followed a week later with the route via Stavanger to London using DC-3s. The third DNL route was to Stockholm using Ju 52s, and then via
GothenburgGothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest amongst the Nordic countries. Situated on the south-west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 502,833 with 622,287 in the urban area and total of 911,406 inhabitants in the metropolitan area.The City of...
and Copenhagen to
ZurichZürich or Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. The city is Switzerland's main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne...
and Marseilles. In May, DNL started routes to Trondheim and
Tromsøis a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø....
, and later onwards to
Kirkenesis the centre of the municipality of Sør-Varanger in Finnmark county, Norway.-Geography and climate:...
. It also started a direct service to Copenhagen. In October, routes were established via Kristiansand to Amsterdam,
BrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium...
and
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Finally, a route was started via Copenhagen to Praha and to Stavanger. In 1946, DNL had 47,000 passengers (although not all flew through Fornebu). The company operated six DC-3s and five Ju 52s.
In 1947,
IcelandairIcelandair is the flag carrier airline of Iceland, based in Reykjavík. It is part of the Icelandair Group and operates services to 25 cities in 12 countries on both sides of the Atlantic. Its main base is Keflavík International Airport..- History :...
started flights to
ReykjavíkReykjavík is the capital and largest city of Iceland. Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's most northern capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
and the same year British European Airways transferred its London-route from Gardermoen to Fornebu. DNL bought three
Short SandringhamThe Short S.25 Sandringham was an airliner derivative of the Short Sunderland military flying boat.-Wartime transport use of Sunderlands:From late 1942, several RAF Sunderlands were stripped of their armament and fitted with bench-type seats. From early 1943, the aircraft gradually acquired civil...
seaplanes that were put into service along the coast as the "Flying Coastal Express". They remained in service from 1947 until May 1950, but proved expensive in operation. In 1949, Braathens SAFE introduced scheduled flights from Fornebu using DC-3s. It had long-haul flights to the Far East, with stops in Amsterdam,
GenevaGeneva, is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie...
,
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
,
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
,
BasraAl-Baṣrah is the capital of Basra Province, and had an estimated population of 3,800,200 as of 2009. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it is incapable of deep water access, which is handled at the the port of Umm Qasr...
,
Karachiis the largest city, main seaport and the financial capital of Pakistan, and the capital of the province of Sindh. It is the 3rd largest city in the world by population and 20th largest city of the world, in terms of metropolitan population. It is Pakistan's premier centre of banking, industry, and...
, Bombay, Calcutta and
BangkokBangkok is the capital, largest urban area and primary city of Thailand. Known in Thai as Krung Thep Mahanakhon , or กรุงเทพฯ Krung Thep for short, it was a small trading post at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River during the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It came to the forefront of Siam when it was given the...
before arriving in
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
. Following the establishment of
Scandinavian Airlines SystemScandinavian Airlines System is the multi-national airline of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the leading carrier in these Scandinavian countries. Its home base is at Stockholm, Sweden. and owned by SAS AB. It is a founding member of the Star Alliance and the founder of Air Greenland, Linjeflyg,...
(SAS) in 1949, all international concessions were transferred to that company, and Braathens SAFE started domestic services, although they kept their existing concessions and international routes until 1954.
Braathens SAFE's first domestic service was via
Tønsberg Airport, JarlsbergTønsberg Airport, Jarlsberg , sometimes called Jarlsberg Airport is located in Tønsberg, Norway.Jarlsberg airport was founded in 1937, and has since then been used for private, commercial and military operations...
to Stavanger, and later a route to Trondheim. These were both operated with
HeronThe herons are wading birds in the Ardeidae family. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called egrets or bitterns instead of herons....
aircraft. At first the Trondheim route was flown to Lade, but were quickly transferred to the current airport at
VærnesTrondheim Airport, Værnes is located in Stjørdal, Nord-Trøndelag, east of Trondheim. This is a regional airport, serving Sør-Trøndelag and Nord-Trøndelag counties. In addition, it also serves as a hub for the southern part of Nordland county...
. Loftleidir started flights to Reykjavík in 1952.
In 1953, work started with expanding the north-south runway to and building a new east-west runway that also was . The same year a new commission was established, that in 1957 recommended that the east-west runway be expanded to and the north-south runway to . Local residents and politicians were opposed to the expansion plans, and
AkershusAkershus County Municipality is the regional governing administration of Akershus, Norway. The main responsibilities of the county municipality includes the running of 35 upper secondary schools...
County CouncilCounty council is the highest governing body of the county municipality in Norway. The county council sets the scope of the county municipal activity. The council is led by the chairman of the county council or county mayor...
voted against them. The ministry then chose to expand the east-west runway to only and leave the north-south runway untouched. The plans would allow the east-west runway to be epanded to in the future, if necessary. The north-south runway had difficult landing conditions, in part because of the residential areas north of the line. From 1959, ministry denied jet plans from using the then longer runway. In the 1950s, SAS started using Convair 440s, while Braathens SAFE took into use Fokker F-27s. Both companies later also took into use
Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
s.
In 1952, SAS started flights to
Bodø AirportBodø Airport is a main civilian airport in Bodø, Norway. It is located next to the military air force base Bodø Main Air Station, just south of the city centre, on the westernmost tip of the peninsula Bodø lies on. The airport has a single concrete, 3.394 m x 45 m runway which runs in a roughly...
and to
Bergen Airport, FleslandBergen Airport, Flesland is the airport in Bergen, Norway, located southwest of the city. It was opened in 1955, and built with funds from NATO. It has functioned as a combined civil and military airport since its opening. Flesland is owned and operated by Avinor.Flesland is Norway's second...
in 1955. In 1955, Braathens SAFE also started flights to Kristiansand and
Farsund Airport, ListaFarsund Airport, Lista , is a now closed former public and military aerodrome located in Farsund, Norway. Until 1996 is was also the Royal Norwegian Air Force Lista Air Station, and until 2002 it was part of Luftfartsverket...
en-route on the Stavanger route and at Notodden Airport the following year. That year also saw some of their Trondheim flights land at Hamar Airport, and in 1957 at
Røros AirportRøros Airport is a regional airport serving the town of Røros in Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. The airport is located 2 km west of the town centre and opened in 1957.The airport is the main base for the general aviation and flight training company Rørosfly....
. In 1958,
Ålesund Airport, VigraÅlesund Airport, Vigra is an airport which serves the Norwegian city of Ålesund. The airport is located on the island of Vigra in the Giske municipality, northeast of the city centre...
was opened, and operated by Braathens SAFE. The Røros stops were terminated in 1958, but reinstated in 1963 after the runway had been extended. The Hamar stops were permanently terminated in 1959.
In 1960,
FinnairFinnair Plc is Finland's largest airline and the flag carrier, with its headquarters in Vantaa, Finland, and its main hub at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Finnair and its subsidiary companies dominate both the domestic and international air travel markets in Finland. The largest owner is the Government...
started flying to
HelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the southern part of Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, by the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it the most populous municipality in Finland by a wide margin...
, although direct flights were not introduced until 1971. After 1962, the east-west runway became the main runway. Along with the runway expansion, a new service building, with a capacity for 2 million passengers, was built and opened in 1964. It was located about half kilometer south of the former terminal. Designed by
Odd Nansens arkitektkontorOdd Nansen was a Norwegian architect, author, and humanitarian, credited with his humanitarian efforts on behalf of Jews in the early years of World War II and for being a founder of UNICEF.-Biography:...
, it had to stories, one for arrivals and one for departures, and two wings, one for domestic and one for international flights. It included a central hall that had a panorama view over the aircraft. The expanded allowed SAS to take into use the Caravelle jet planes on the Copenhagen routes, although it was occasionally also used to Bodø.
Cramped quarters
Three airports were opened in
Finnmarkor Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
in 1963, all served by SAS:
Alta AirportAlta Airport is the airport of Alta, Norway. It is located east or about northeast of the town center of Alta, near the community Elvebakken on the southern shore of the Altafjord....
,
Kirkenes Airport, HøybuktmoenKirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen is the airport serving Kirkenes in eastern Finnmark, Norway. Like most other Norwegian airports, KKN is operated by Avinor. Kirkenes is a primary airport, with a long runway, and capable of serving jet airplanes, and has direct flights to Oslo...
and
Lakselv Airport, BanakLakselv Airport, Banak is located 1,5 km from the town of Lakselv in the municipality of Porsanger in Finnmark county, Norway. Apart from Lakselv, the airport also serves Karasjok, some 74 km to the south, with corresponding airport coach six days a week...
. The following year, SAS also started flights to Tromsø Airport the following year. In 1966, Lufthansa started flights to
HamburgHamburg is the second-largest city in Germany and the sixth-largest city in the European Union...
, and later also introduced departures to
DusseldorfDüsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the second most international and economically important centre of Germany, after Frankfurt, and is located in the center of the Rhein-Ruhr area, Europe's most populated metropolitan area...
, Frankfurt and
MunichMunich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg...
. During the 1960s, SAS introduced Caravelles on most of the domestic routes.
During the 1970s,
Douglas DC-7The Douglas DC-7 was an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8...
s were also taken into use. Pan American had flights to
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
from 1967 to 1973 and from 1976 to 1978. Braathens SAFE started taking delivery of Boeing 737-200s and Fokker F-28 in 1969, and these gradually took over most of the domestic routes. In 1970,
Air FranceAir France is a French airline headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, France , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
to Paris and
SwissairSwissair AG was the former national airline of Switzerland. It was formed of a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero , in 1931...
started flying to Fornebu. They were supplemented by
AeroflotOJSC "AeroflotRussian Airlines" , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the largest airline in Russia, based on passengers carried per year. Aeroflot, headquartered in Moscow, is one of the oldest airlines in the world, tracing its history back to 1923...
to
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
in 1972.
In 1971, a state committee recommended that Gardermoen be expanded to take a larger share of the traffic from Fornebu. At the same time, a new main airport was eventually to be built at
HobølHobøl is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Elvestad. Hobøl is situated about southeast of Oslo. The parish of Haabøl was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 .The largest village in Hobøl is Tomter, which has a...
. From 1971, charter flights were moved to Gardermoen, although SAS and Braathens SAFE were granted dispensation so they only needed to serve one Oslo-airport. On 1 July 1971, Widerøe also started serving domestic routes to Fornebu, with the opening of regional airport in
Sogn og Fjordaneis a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Florø....
. These routes were served using de Havilland Canada Twin Otter and later
de Havilland Canada Dash 7The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with STOL capabilities. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988 when the parent company, de Havilland Canada, was purchased by Boeing and was later sold to Bombardier...
aircraft. Sandane was added in 1975. The last four primary airports were opened during the 1970s. Braathens SAFE started flights to
Kristiansund Airport, KvernbergetKristiansund Airport, Kvernberget is a medium size international airport located next to the small mountain Kvernberget, east southeast or from the town center of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, opened in 1970 and caters to the county's northern district, Nordmøre. In 2007 the...
in 1972,
Molde Airport, ÅrøMolde Airport, Årø seves the city of Molde, Møre og Romsdal and the surrounding district of Romsdal, located east of the city. After the opening in 1972, services have been mainly to Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim...
in 1972 and
Harstad/Narvik Airport, EvenesHarstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes is located in Evenes municipality in Nordland, North Norway. A smaller part of the runway is in Skånland municipality in Troms.- General information about the airport :...
in 1973. In 1975, SAS started flights to
Haugesund Airport, KarmøyHaugesund Airport, Karmøy is the airport serving the city of Haugesund in Norway. It is located on the west side of the island and municipality of Karmøy, southwest of Haugesund. The airport was opened in 1975 and is operated by Avinor.The airport had 514,947 passengers in 2007...
.
During the 1980s, the airport was again deemed too small. In 1983, also the charter flights used by SAS and Braathens were forced to move to Gardermoen. Additional foreign services were also introduced, namely
SabenaSABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly-formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of SABENA's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines.-1923–1939:SABENA is short for...
to Brussels in 1985,
Dan-AirDan-Air is a defunct airline in the United Kingdom. It started in 1953 and was absorbed into British Airways in 1992.-History:Dan-Air started in the United Kingdom in May 1953 with a Douglas DC-3 Dakota based at Southend Airport...
to London-Gatwick and Newcastle in 1986 and
AlitaliaAlitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , now known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
to
MilanMilan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
in 1988. During a period of reconstruction at Gardermoen,
Trans World AirlinesFor the Jordanian cargo airline, see Transworld Aviation.Trans World Airlines renamed TWA Airlines LLC in 2001 was a major United States-based airline with hubs in St. Louis, New York , with focus cities in Kansas City, Missouri; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Los Angeles, California. The airline...
also served Fornebu, and the same year Pan American reintroduced its route to New York. Air Europe also started to fly from London-Gatwick to Fornebu. An additional story was added to the service building, allowing office space to be moved there and free up space for check-in and traveller service on the two main stories. Two satellites were built for the domestic terminal, one each for Braathens SAFE and SAS, allowing increased waiting area for travellers. The international terminal was expanded with a five-gate pier terminal with bridges to the aircraft. A multi-story parking house was also built.
Norsk AirWiderøe Norsk Air AS, formerly known as Vestfoldfly, Norsk Flytjeneste AS and Norsk Air AS, was a Norwegian airline based at Sandefjord Airport, Torp...
started serving Fornebu following the opening of
Fagernes Airport, LeirinFagernes Airport, Leirin serves Fagernes and the surrounding valleys of Valdres, Hallingdal and Gudbrandsdal in Southern Norway, from Oslo. Opened in 1987, it is owned and operated by state-owned Avinor. The airport is above sea level, and has a runway...
in 1987. The route was closed within a year, but taken up again by
Coast AirCoast Air AS was a regional airline based at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy in Norway. It was Norway's fourth largest airline and operated domestic services within Norway in addition to international services. Services were concentrated along the West Coast, as well as some public service obligation...
in 1990. From 1996, the route was taken over by
Teddy AirTeddy Air AS was a regional airline, based at Skien Airport, Geiteryggen, in Norway. Operating between 1989 and 2004, the company operated Britten-Norman Islander, Embraer 110 and Saab 340 aircraft. The company started by providing a scheduled service between Skien and Oslo in 1990, followed by...
.
In 1989, Braathens SAFE started its first international scheduled service since 1960, from Fornebu to
BillundBillund Kommune is a municipality in Region Syddanmark in the center of the Jutland Peninsula of Denmark. Formerly the municipality belonged to Ribe County. The new, merged municipality covers an area of 155 km², and has a total population of 8,697 . Its mayor is Preben Jensen, a member of the...
in Denmark. Two years later, the company started flying to Newcastle, after Dan-Air had withdrawn from the route, and to
MalmöMalmö is the third most populous city in Sweden, situated in its southernmost province of Scania.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County. The administrative entity for most of the city is Malmö Municipality which has 290 007 inhabitants in eight different...
in Sweden. That year also saw the start of Norway Airlines, who started a base at Fornebu and offered flights to London-Gatwick, as well as to Stockholm in cooperation with Transwede and to Copenhagen in cooperation with
SterlingSterling Airlines A/S was an Icelandic-owned low-fare airline, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was created in September 2005 through the merger of two Danish airlines - Sterling European Airlines A/S and Maersk Air A/S - which had been bought by Icelandic investment group Fons Eignarhaldsfélag a...
. In 1992, both Norway Airlines and Dan-Air went bankrupt, and Braathens SAFE started flights to London-Gatwick. They terminated the Malmö route in 1994. After the deregulation, Braathens SAFE also introduced flights to Alicante, Malaga, Rome and Stockholm. Widerøe introduced international services to
GothenburgGothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest amongst the Nordic countries. Situated on the south-west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 502,833 with 622,287 in the urban area and total of 911,406 inhabitants in the metropolitan area.The City of...
and
BerlinBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
In 1994, the domestic and international flights to the
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
were deregulated, and the number of international services increased and Fornebu received airlines such as
Air MaltaAir Malta plc is the national airline of Malta, headquartered in Luqa. It operates services to 36 destinations in Europe and North Africa. The airline's hub and base is at Malta International Airport.- History :...
, Air Portugal,
AirUKAir UK was a wholly privately owned, independent regional British airline formed in 1980 as a result of a merger involving three rival UK-based regional airlines. British and Commonwealth -owned British Island Airways and Air Anglia were the two dominant merger partners...
and
LOT Polish AirlinesPolskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A., trading as LOT Polish Airlines or LOT , is the flag carrier of Poland, based in Warsaw. The name Polskie Linie Lotnicze means "Polish Airlines" in Polish, while lot means "flight"...
. Other airlines to fly from Fornebu during the 1980s and 1990s includes Delta Airlines, Northwest Orient and
Tower AirTower Air was a charter U.S. airline that operated from 1983 until 2000, when it declared bankruptcy and was liquidated. Initially it offered only international service, but during the mid-1980s it competed with People Express in the high-density U.S. domestic market, until that airline's demise in...
. Domestically, Braathens SAFE introduced flights to Bergen, Bodø, Harstad/Narvik and Tromsø.
Closing
During the 1960s, a political debate started concerning if there should be built a new main airport for Oslo and Eastern Norway. A government report launched in 1970, suggested surveys for five locations: Gardermoen,
HurumHurum is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village Klokkarstua. The municipality of Hurum was established on 1 January 1838 . The small village of Holmsbu was granted town status in 1847, but it did not become a municipality of its own...
,
Askimis a town and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Askim. Askim was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ....
,
NesoddenNesodden is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Follo. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Nesoddtangen. The parish of Næsodden was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
and
ÅsÅs is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Follo traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ås. The parish of Aas was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 .Ås is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Akershus,...
. Hobøl was preliminarily selected and areas reserved for a future airport. During the 1970s, the
Labor PartyThe Norwegian Labour Party is a social democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway.The Labour Party is officially a social democratic party committed to social...
became concerned that Hobøl was located too centrally in relation to the growth areas around Oslo, and wanted instead to use Gardermoen. Such a localization could force the population growth further north. Commercial interests and the airlines supported Hobøl. In 1983, Parliament decided to abandon the plans for Hobøl and continue with a divided solution. Fornebu would be expanded, and all charter traffic be moved to Gardermoen. From 1988, all international traffic would also be moved, making Fornebu a pure domestic airport.
Increased traffic in the mid-1980s changed the politician's interests, and in 1988 Parliament voted to build a new main airport at Hurum, located on the same side of Oslo as Fornebu, but further away. However, new weather data showed that Hurum was unsuitable, and the location was discarded. There were accusations that the data was fabricated to manipulate the political decision. In 1992, parliament made a final vote that started construction of a new airport at Gardermoen and Fornebu would be closed.
Financing of the airport at Gardermoen would be done through a state load issued to a limited company owned by the Civil Airport Authority. This company would build and operate Gardermoen, but from 1 January 1997 it also took over operation of Fornebu. After the last plane took off from Fornebu on 7 August 1998, 300 people spent the night to transport 500 truckloads of equipment from Fornebu to Gardermoen. The new Oslo Airport, Gardermoen opened on the morning of 8 August 1998.
The opening of Gardermoen had strategic impact on aviation in Norway. Despite the deregulation of the market in 1994, the lack of free slots at Fornebu made it impossible to have free competition, since no new airlines could establish themselves and no new international airlines could fly to Fornebu. Gardermoen allowed this to happen, and from 1 August 1998,
Color AirColor Air was the first Norwegian low-cost airline, operating from Gardermoen Airport, Oslo in 1998 and 1999. The airline operated a fleet of three Boeing 737-300 aircraft. Color Air was a brand extension of Color Line, who shared a common owner in the Olav Nils Sunde-controlled Color Group...
started with flights from Oslo, pressing down prices on domestic routes. Although the airline went bankrupt the following year, the losses for Braathens were so high that they were taken over by SAS. The gap was then filled by
Norwegian Air ShuttleNorwegian Air Shuttle ASA , trading as Norwegian, is the fifth-largest low-cost airline in Europe, and the second-largest airline in Scandinavia. In 2008, it transported 9.1 million people on 150 routes to 82 destinations, covering across Europe into North Africa and the Middle East...
.
Facilites
At the time of closing, the airport consisted of a single terminal with three satellites: two domestic and one international. The service building had three stories, one for arrival, one for departure and one for administration. Airplane capacity at the airport was 20 craft. Five planes parked at the international terminal could be served with bridges, while passenger had to walk outdoors to get to domestic planes. The airport terminals are , of which are for the public.
At the north part of the airport, located where the former main terminal until 1964, has the offices of the Air Force and Fred. Olsens Flyveselskap, the main hangar for Braathens SAFE, as well as mechanical facilities for SAS and Fred. Olsen. The fire station and snowplowing facilities were also located there, along with the main radar center. All the terminal buildings built during until the early 1960s were still intact until the closing of the airport.
In 1989, about 5,500 people worked at Fornebu. Of these, 3,600 worked for the airlines, including ground services. The airport administration had 350 employees, inclduing administration, air control, fire fighters, metrology and maintenance. The remaining 500 people worked for other public offices, including the police and customs, as well as service employees working for private companies working at passenger services.
Fornebu had two runways: a main east-west runway and a secondary north-south. Only the main runway is used under ordinary weather conditions, with the north-south runway only used if there is strong winds from the north and for
general aviationGeneral aviation is one of two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, helicopers and ambulance aircraft. The main runway is equipped with
instrument landing system category 1An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
. Under ordinary weather conditions, flights to Fornebu were to as soon as possible divert southwards along the fjord, to avoid noise pollusion to residential areas. However, when necessary, a direct approach could be made eastwards from
Drammenis a city and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Drammen.The municipality of Drammen was established on 1 January 1838...
or westwards from Grefsenåsen. Until 1996,
Oslo Air Traffic Control CenterOslo Air Traffic Control Center or Oslo ATCC is responsible for the controlled airspace above Eastern Norway. The area control center is located at Røyken, between Oslo and Drammen. The Control Center is owned and operated by the state enterprise Avinor...
(Oslo ATCC) was located at Fornebu. It had the responsibility to oversee all south-eastern Norway, bordering to
DovreDovre is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Dovre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dovre....
in the north, almost to Stavanger in the west, halfway to Stockholm to the west and almost to Denmark in the south.
Since Fornebu is located on a peninsula, all transport to the airport needed to go via Lysaker. There a branch from the motorway
European Route E18European route E18 runs from Craigavon in the United Kingdom to Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Norway, Sweden, and Finland. It is about 1,890 km in length.-United Kingdom:...
could access the airport.
Lysaker StationLysaker Station is Norway's third-largest railway station, located at Lysaker on the Drammen Line. It serves express, regional, local and Airport Express trains. The station opened in 1872, and is located west of Oslo S at elevation...
is on the Drammen Line, and was served by both local and regional trains, including services to Oslo Central Station. In addition,
Stor-Oslo LokaltrafikkStor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk AS or SL was the public transport administration for bus and ferry transport in Akershus, Norway from 1973 to 2007. SL was organised as a limited company owned by the Akershus county municipality, the City of Oslo, and the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications,...
offered bus transport to the airport from
AskerAsker is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Viken traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Asker. The municipality is a suburb of Oslo, the national capital...
and Bærum, including Lysaker. A limited number of services were extended to Snarøya. An airport coach connected the airport to the city center.
Airlines and destinations
In 1996, the airport had 170,823 aircraft movement and 10,072,054 passengers. This made it the busiest airport in the country. It served as the main hub for Braathens SAFE, one of three main hubs for SAS and as one of many for Widerøe.
Prior to 1 April 1994, all air transport in Norway was restricted to airlines that had received concession from the ministry. On the primary domestic routes, the traffic was split between SAS and Braathens SAFE. Both had services to Trondheim and Stavanger. SAS had a monopoly to Bergen and Northern Norway (Alta, Bodø, Harstad/Narvik, Kirkenes, Longyearbyen and Tromsø), while Braathens SAFE had a monopoly to the other primary airports in Southern Norway (Haugesund, Kristiansand, Kristiansund, Molde, Røros and Ålesund). Widerøe had a monopoly on the regional state-supported routes (Brønnøysund, Florø, Førde, Sandane, Sogndal and Ørsta/Volda), and also served Stord and Sandefjord.
Following Norway joining the
European Economic AreaThe European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of the European Free Trade Association ,the European Community , and all member states of the European Union...
(EEA), the airline industry was deregulated, allowing any airline from an EEA to make domestic or international flights to Norway. However, by 1994 there was no available slots at Fornebu during the morning and evening rush hours, limiting the number of new routes that could be established. After the deregulation, Fornebu could not offer slots to new airlines, and SAS and Braathens could not establish as many competing routes as they wanted to. However, domestic services were provided by both SAS and Braathens SAFE to Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim, Bodø, Harstad/Narvik, Tromsø and Longyearbyen. The remaining domestic airports were only served by the incumbent. In addition, Teddy Air offered services to Fagernes.
International services were provided by 21 airlines to 28 destinations. SAS had international flights to Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London-Heathrow, Manchester, Munich, New York, Nice, Paris, Stockholm and Zurich. Braathens SAFE offered international services to Alicante, Billund, London-Gatwick, Malaga, Newcastle and Stockholm. Lufthansa offered flights to Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich. Other European airlines that provided services to their main hubs included Aeroflot (Moscow-Sheremetyevo), Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle), Air Malta (Valetta), Air Portugal (Lisbon), AirUK, Alitalia (Milan), British Airways (London-Heathrow), Dan-Air (London-Gatwick), Delta Air Lines (New York-JFK), Icelandair (Reykjavík), KLM (Amsterdam), LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw) and Sabena (Brussels).
Accidents and incidents
- On 26 May 1946, a DNL Junkers Ju 52 en route to Stockholm crashed into the houses at Halden Terrasse after take-off, due to a technical error on the aircraft. All people onboard were killed, but no-one on the ground.
- In 1949, a Dutch airplane crashed in Hurum while approaching Fornebu. All but one of the passengers, plus all the crew, died.
- On 14 April 1963, Vickers Viscount
The Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
TF-ISU Hrímfaxi of Icelandair Flugfélag IslandsIcelandair is the flag carrier airline of Iceland, based in Reykjavík. It is part of the Icelandair Group and operates services to 25 cities in 12 countries on both sides of the Atlantic. Its main base is Keflavík International Airport..- History :...
crashed at Nesøya on approach to Oslo-Fornebu Airport. All 12 people on board were killed.
- On 23 December 1972, Braathens SAFE Flight 239
Braathens Flight 239 was a flight between Ålesund Airport, Vigra and Oslo Airport, Fornebu which crashed in Asker on 23 December 1972 killing 40 people. It was the worst airline disaster involving a Norwegian airline until Partnair Flight 394, and the worst disaster on Norwegian soil until Vnukovo...
with a Fokker F-28 from Ålesund to Oslo crashed in Asker during approach to Fornebu. Forty people were killed, while five people survived. This was the first-ever fatal accident with a F-28, and until 1989 the deadliest air accident in Norway.