Sandefjord Airport, Torp

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Sandefjord Airport, Torp
Sandefjord lufthavn, Torp
IATA: TRF – ICAO: ENTO
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Sandefjord Lufthavn AS
Serves Sandefjord, Norway
Location Stokke, Norway
Elevation AMSL 286 ft / 87 m
Coordinates 59°11′12″N, 10°15′31″E
Website www.torp.no
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18/36 9,675 2,950 Asphalt
Statistics (2006)
Passengers 1,300,762

Sandefjord Airport, Torp (IATA: TRF, ICAO: ENTO) (Norwegian (language): Sandefjord lufthavn, Torp) is an international airport in the municipality of Sandefjord, Vestfold south of Oslo, Norway. It serves both as regional airport and as a low-cost airport for Eastern Norway.

In 2006 Torp had 1,300,762 passengers, about two thirds travelling internationally. Widerøe offer domestic flights to Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim while a number of other airlines offer international flights serving the Vestfold/Telemark area. The low-cost airlines Ryanair and Wizzair fly to the airport as Oslo-Torp, although the airport is twice the distance from Oslo as Gardermoen and lacks high-speed rail transport to the city. The airport is located between the city of Sandefjord and Stokke.

Torp is owned and operated by Sandefjord Lufthavn AS, which in turn is owned by the municipalities of Sandefjord and Stokke, the county of Vestfold, and a private investment group. Torp is the largest commercial airport in Norway not owned by the state through its subsidiary company Avinor.

Contents

[edit] History

Sandefjord Airport, Torp was built after World War II using NATO funds as a military airport. After a while the airport also started having civilian airlines, among others Norsk Air who operated regional flights to Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim using a fleet of Embraer aircraft. The airline was later taken over by Widerøe who operates the airport as one of its hubs.

After the construction of Gardermoen, Norwegian authorities decided that Eastern Norway only needed one airport. While Fornebu was closed, the municipalities of Stokke and Sandefjord started operating the airport on private basis, and in 1997 Ryanair stated flying to Torp from its hub at London-Stansted. Since then Torp has become the main low-cost airport serving Eastern Norway. During the summer of 2006 the airport was sold from the Royal Norwegian Air Force to the airport operating company. But Moss Airport, Rygge has also received permission for private commercial airport operations, and may become a competitor for Torp as a low-cost destination.

[edit] Future plans

In June 2006 the airport decided to invest NOK 24 million to expand the terminal. The check-in has been a bottle neck, and the expansion will give the airport a capacity of 2.5 million passengers per year. The airport is also working on expanding the taxiway.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

  • KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
  • Ryanair (Birmingham [Begins June 2008], Bremen, Dublin, Girona, Glasgow-Prestwick, Frankfurt-Hahn, Liverpool, London-Stansted, Marseille, Madrid, Milan-Bergamo, Pisa)
  • Widerøe (Bergen, Copenhagen, Stavanger, Trondheim)
  • Wizz Air (Budapest (from 12 July 2008), Gdańsk, Katowice, Poznań, Warsaw)

Torp is also the home of Norway's only flying DC-3. It is operated by Dakota Norway, a non-profit organization, and tours around the area are available at selected days during the summer season.

[edit] Services

Torp is currently only served by one handling agent, Widerøe Handling Services, providing airlines with both check-in and passenger-services in the terminal, and airside operations like water and toilet-service, airstairs, Ground Power, aircraft heating and airconditioning, aircraft pushback and towing, aircraft loading and unloading, catering-services, and aircraft de-icing/anti-icing.

[edit] Catering

In addition to WHS, a second catereer, Select Service Partner, or SSP, provides catering for airlines at Torp.

[edit] Fuel

Aviation fuels and oils are provided by Statoil Aviation and Shell Aviation, both providing both Jet-A1 and Avgas 100LL.

[edit] Maintenance

Widerøe has the largest maintenance facility at Torp, providing full maintenance for the airlines own fleet of Dash 8 series 100, 300, and 400 aircraft.

Helifly provides maintenance for both aircraft and helicopters.

Flyvedlikehold provides maintenance for both aircraft and helicopters, engines, and is a retailer of pilot accessories like headsets, helmets, and so on.

[edit] Ground transport

[edit] Incidents

  • Sandefjord was the site of a 1979 Learjet crash, reportedly the result of a pilot distracted by a rowdy party being celebrated by passengers. The cost of the crash was the life of the pilot and five passengers.
  • The Torp hostage crisis occurred on September 28, 1994. Two Swedish robbers took two police officers and two pensioners as hostages. The police freed the hostages and killed one of the hostage takers. It is the only incident in peace time that a Norwegian police chief has given the orders to shoot to kill.

[edit] See also

[edit] References


[edit] External links

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