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Interview with Mats Rodgerson, Commercial Director of Stockholm Skavsta Airport AB

The Stockholm southern gatewayCheap air travel has made the world a smaller place, and the trend continues. The possibility to choose and combine individual flight packages contributes to this development, just like people’s growing wish to travel. The Swedes in particular like to travel extensively, and to faraway destinations at that. Moreover, recent surveys show that half a million of the coun-try’s ten million inhabitants are frequent travellers because they spend some or all of their working life abroad. Stockholm Skavsta Airport in Nyköping, 100 km south of the Swedish capital, Stockholm, has become the southern Stockholm gateway to cheap air travel. Swe-den’s third-largest international airport offers modern facilities that are capable of dealing with large volumes of passengers efficiently and economically.

Once a military airfield, Stockholm

Skavsta is today 91% owned by

a Canadian pension fund, OM-

ERS; the remainder is owned by

Nyköping Municipality. “The own-

ers pursue the common goal to es-

tablish Stockholm Skavsta Airport

as a major Stockholm gateway, us-

ing its capacity to the full,” points

out Mats Rodgerson, Commercial

Director. “We are working together

to meet infrastructural challenges

in the growing Stockholm area.

We consider Stockholm Skavsta

Airport the adequate answer, along

with a high-speed rail link that is

currently under negotiation.” About

3.5 million people live in the area

south of Stockholm today, many of

them ethnic groups with family in

Turkey, the Middle East or North

Africa. “These groups are likely to

travel a lot and provide great po-

tential for new or existing airlines,”

comments Mr. Rodgerson. “The

same applies to the large num-

ber of Swedish citizens working

abroad. The new low-cost airlines

may have even encouraged the

trend towards international work

and travel – a development that

has by no means reached its peak

yet.” Stockholm Skavsta Airport is

strategically located one hour from

the center of Stockholm, 100 km

south of the city, right next to the

main E4 highway. The planned rail

link will incorporate a station within

the airport area. Additionally, there

are various bus connections. “At

present most travellers come by

car or bus,” says the airport’s

Commercial Director. “Our airport

is relatively small, which means

that both long-term and short-

term parking are located close to

the main terminal. At the same

time, our infrastructure is excel-

lent with a 3,000 m runway that

is even suitable for A340 or Boe-

ing 747 aircraft.” Another major

advantage is the company’s fully

comprehensive security schedule,

installed and managed by an ex-

ternal organization. This schedule

is applied 24 hours a day and

provides a safe and secure airport

environment for both the passen-

gers and the airlines. A terminal

building that is capable of handling

three million passengers a year

and designed for further expan-

Stockholm Skavsta Airport has become the pioneering airport of low fares in Scandinavia

An ideal base for tour operators and airlines alike – view of the airport facilities

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Stockholm Skavsta Airport ABGeneral Schybergs plan 22 611 92 Nyköping Sweden

+46 155 280400 +46 155 280426

info@skavsta.se www.skavsta.se

sion completes the impression of a

dynamically developing airport with

great potential. The bright, modern

and efficient terminal welcomes

passengers and visitors with retail

shops, restaurants, a currency

exchange, a business lounge and

a three-star hotel. Online booking

of parking spaces is just one of the

services that add to passengers’

comfort and convenience.

Stockholm Skavsta offers 47 des-

tinations at present, 34 of them by

Ryanair and 13 by Wizz Air. “Ry-

anair established its first Scandina-

vian base here 20 years ago, and

Wizz Air followed suit,” says Mr.

Rodgerson. “We are the pioneering

airport of low fares in Scandinavia

and an ideal base for tour opera-

tors and airlines alike.” He sees

further possibilities in Germany,

Britain and Portugal, where new

destinations are being created.

Flights and landings that gener-

ally take place on time thanks to

the favourable air traffic condi-

tions in southern Sweden, a fast

and flexible service organization,

dependability even in bad weather

and capacities that could easily be

extended from currently 25,000 to

75,000 landings are further assets

that qualify Stockholm Skavsta

Airport as the southern Stockholm

gateway to affordable air travel. ❙

Commercial Director Mats Rodgerson plans to expand busi-ness from 25,000 to 75,000 landings in future