The agreement spans seven years and is worth six billion kronor. For Bra, it means that the company's air traffic will be moved from Bromma to Arlanda. A majority of Sweden's domestic air traffic will thus depart from Arlanda.
If you look at Copenhagen, Oslo, and Amsterdam, they all have only one airport. Having two airports has not been good for Sweden, says SAS CEO Anko van der Werff.
His colleague, Bra owner Per G Braathen, emphasizes that the agreement is a condition for the company's survival, as Bra has had financial problems for a long time.
We have been in two reconstructions since the outbreak of the pandemic and we can't make it work financially. We have been at Bromma for 25 years and it is not profitable to operate the airport, so we must concentrate on Arlanda, he says and develops:
We must adapt to the future. This will save Swedish jobs.
Jobs will disappear
A lot of jobs will not be saved, however. Per G Braathen tells TT that 60-70 employees will be laid off, mainly employees tied to the operations at Bromma.
The airport has had an agreement with the City of Stockholm since earlier, which expires at the end of 2038. The plan has been to phase out the airport by then.
Now that Bra is leaving Bromma already in December, it means that most of the commercial air traffic will disappear from the airport. Only Finnair and a small regional actor, Västflyg, will remain.
I don't think the airport will survive without us, says Per G Braathen.
Expanded route network
For SAS, which has also had major financial challenges and now has new owners, the deal means an expanded route network. The number of daily flights to and from Gothenburg, for example, will increase from seven to ten.
The market for domestic air traffic has not worked as we wished. It has not taken off yet after Covid. Now we get better connections, says Anko van der Werff.
On some destinations, such as Ängelholm and Ronneby, SAS and Bra will become the sole actor and gain a monopoly. The question is what it means for future ticket prices.
We will offer different ticket prices and will now be able to provide more options when it comes to departures, says Per G Braathen.
The merger between Bra and SAS means more departures from Arlanda as follows:
Visby – 8 departures (2 previously)
Göteborg – 7 (10)
Malmö – 7 (4)
Ronneby – 5 (3)
Luleå – 9 (7)
Ängelholm – 5 (4)
Umeå – 7 (6)
The current agreement between the City of Stockholm and the state applies during the period from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2038.
Termination must be made no later than three years before the end of the agreement period.
The question of terminating the agreement will be addressed by the municipal council this year.
According to the red-green government, the plan is to phase out the airport and clean up the area by 2038.
Source: City Management Office
