Affärsidé

Att till företag och privatpersoner i södra Norrland och norra Mälardalen tillskapa ett komplement till Arlanda. Att via lågprisflygbolag och andra samarbetspartners kunna erbjuda ett konkurenskraftigt alternativ till Skavsta.

It may sound obvious that an airport is designed for airlines.

However, how many times do you see airlines complaining about the service they get or about the costs they have to pay, simply to bring their aircraft and passengers to an airport? Here in Uppsala, we are developing a commercial airport product together in consultation with you, the airline industry. We want to make sure that Uppsala Airport is a true partner for airlines and passengers, right down to the finest detail. Our development will be totally structured around low-cost operations. We are focused on delivering an airport product to our community that will provide a totally new air travel dimension for the greater Stockholm region. Inside our prospectus, you will quickly learn that our location offers airlines the best possible network alternative to Arlanda. Our message is quite clear:

If you want to bring the same people to the same location at less cost, with the support of a privately-operated airport partner and your route market is Sweden’s capital region, then the choice is simple… The choice is Uppsala, the low-cost airport for the low-cost carrier.

Mattias Sjölund CEO & Founder Uppsala Air AB

WHY IS UPPSALA AIR DEVELOPING AN AIRPORT FOR COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS?

Of Sweden’s entire air travel market – which accounts for around 17 million passengers a year – 10.7 million currently fly into or out of Arlanda Airport, 40 km north of downtown Stockholm, making this by far the most important aviation market in the country. Ever since its inauguration back in 1976, Stockholm Arlanda International has acted as Sweden's primary gateway for international air travel, its unrivalled status confirmed by the opening of Sky City in 1993 and a major infrastructure update in 2002, including a new runway and tower and the establishment of Pier F.

Developments have been measured in Arlanda's 30-year history, reflecting the steady growth of air travel to and from Sweden. While scheduled services have kept pace with market demand, however, the massive increase in low-cost air activity in the greater Stockholm catchment area has shifted the air infrastructure focus away from Arlanda to other regional airports, principally fuelled by Ryanair's network expansion at Nyköping’s Skavsta airport. Arlanda’s response? The airport is looking to attract its own low-cost airlines and open new cost-sensitive routes – European LCCs including Hapag-Lloyd Express, FlyMe, Germanwings and Iceland Express now regularly operate from the Airport. SAS and other scheduled legacy carriers have also adopted price policies to compete with their low cost competitors; subsequently it is becoming more difficult for consumers to make a differential between low-cost and legacy service providers.

Still, it remains to be seen whether low-cost expansion at Arlanda is sustainable over the longer term. Will Arlanda, with its massive infrastructure and established image as a full-service flag-carrier destination, be able to compete with the new kids on the aviation block? Increased competition between Stockholm’s other regional airports – Bromma, Skavsta, Västerås and, of course, Uppsala – is inevitable. Just as certain, the airport with the best price/location mix has the brightest prospects for the future. So let’s consider the contenders.

Round One: Stockholm Bromma

As Stockholm’s only true ‘downtown’ airport, Bromma successfully caters for the commuter and executive business jet market (clients include Golden Air, Malmö Aviation and Skyways), but has no low-cost credentials or ambitions. The airport handles around a million passengers, mostly on domestic routes. Nevertheless, its long-term future is uncertain and its operational capabilities place significant restrictions on larger aircraft such as Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s – the staple aircraft of LCC business.

Round Two: Västerås

Located around 100 km northwest of the capital, part state owned Västerås Airport offers a viable low-cost entrance to the Stockholm market. Yet LCC interest in Västerås remains low-key. Ryanair’s second-choice Stockholm airport has two daily flights to London Luton, while SAS operates a daily service to Copenhagen.

Round Three: Skavsta

Today, Skavsta is perhaps the established airport for low-cost services to Stockholm, largely due to Ryanair and, more recently, to Wizz Air. The Irish low-cost pioneer now flies to 14 high profile destinations in 10 countries (including London Stansted, Paris Beauvais, Brussels Charleroi and Rome Ciampino) from Skavsta, its primary Swedish hub. The first airport in the Stockholm region to service LCCs, Skavsta undoubtedly has a head start over its competition. Yet its location is a drawback. The airport is a full 117 km south of the capital city and those needing to connect to domestic traffic arriving at Arlanda face even further journey times.

Uppsala, on the other hand, is just 70 km from downtown Stockholm and a mere 38 km north of Arlanda Airport. Since early morning scheduled departures from Skavsta, in particular, mean extremely early ground transport journeys for North Stockholm residents, Uppsala would prove to be far less problematic for passengers’ travel arrangements within the catchment area.

Of course, price stimulation is not the only factor for aviation customers. Passengers frequently choose a carrier because of the convenient airport from which it operates – convenient not just in terms of travel, but also in its arrival and departure schedules. Barcelona Girona departure times for Ryanair’s services to Barcelona Girona and Rome Ciampino – 7am and 6.45am respectively. If you live in northern Stockholm, you’re in for a very early start! So what you need is an airport that delivers the services currently available at Skavsta but offering far greater ease of access.

And the Winner is…

…Uppsala Airport. Located less than 40 km northwest of Arlanda, this airport offers LCCs a low-cost operational base in the central catchment area of greater Stockholm, with potential for a wide range of tailored infrastructure and handling services. Its close proximity to the end destination means that early flight departures would be far less problematic at Uppsala than at Skavsta.

Uppsala’s youth is a huge benefit here, enabling its management to create a structure that perfectly reflects today’s LCC needs – Uppsala is best placed of all the central Swedish airports to cater for the ever-developing low-cost market and to deliver a tailored low-cost airport product – all in the same basic locality as Stockholm Arlanda.