Stockholm-Bromma Airport

Stockholm-Bromma Airport
Stockholm-Bromma flygplats
IATA: BMAICAO: ESSB
BMA
Location of airport in Stockholm
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Swedavia
Serves Stockholm
Location Stockholm Municipality
Elevation AMSL 14 m / 47 ft
Website www.brommaairport.se/en/Bromma
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
12/30 1,668 5,472 Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Passengers total 2,039,699
International passengers 164,435
Domestic passengers 1,875,264
Landings total 21,587
Source: Swedish AIP at EUROCONTROL[1]
Statistics: Swedavia[2]

Stockholm-Bromma Airport (IATA: BMAICAO: ESSB) is an airport in Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm-Bromma Airport is located 4 NM (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) west northwest[1] of downtown Stockholm and is the closest to the city. Bromma is Sweden's fifth largest airport (2008) and the third largest airport near Stockholm, and third largest in Sweden in terms of take-offs and landings.

Contents

History

During the 1930s the need for a proper airport for Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden, became urgent. The airport was opened in 1936 by King Gustav V, and was the first airport in Europe to have paved runways from the start. During World War II Swedish and British aircraft flew to the United Kingdom from Bromma Airport. Since these flights sometimes carried Norwegian and Danish refugees the airport became of interest for German spies, and two Swedish Douglas DC-3 that had taken off from Bromma were shot down by the Germans during the war. After the war the airport flourished, two noted airlines that operated from the airport were Aktiebolaget Aerotransport (ABA) which subsequently became the Swedish partner in Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) and Linjeflyg (the Swedish main domestic airline which was later acquired by SAS). However the runway of Bromma was too short for the jet age and for intercontinental traffic in the 1960s (e.g. DC-8), and the capacity limit of Bromma could be foreseen, therefore the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport was built.

With the opening of the Arlanda Airport in 1960–62, all international traffic moved there, the domestic traffic followed in 1983. Bromma became the domain of business jets, general aviation and flight schools in addition to government use. Several of the old hangars were separated from the airport area and turned into shopping outlets adjacent to the airport. With the start of operations by Malmö Aviation with services to Gothenburg, Malmö and London City Airport the airport has experienced something of a renaissance. In 2002 a new control tower was put into use on Ranhammarshöjden and the terminal which had become rundown after years of neglect was renovated. The airport underwent further improvements in 2005 and is now capable of separating passengers arriving from within and outside of the Schengen area.

Sweden's first FBO (Fixed base operator), Grafair Jet Center, was built in 2004 at the Stockholm-Bromma Airport. The Swedish CAA at the time, Luftfartsverket, announced a bidding process in 2003 for a contract to build a General Aviation terminal at the airport in order to improve the ground services provided for the general aviation customers flying to Stockholm and the Stockholm-Bromma Airport. Grafair won the contract and went on to build the FBO, which was finished 11 November 2004. The Grafair Jet Center was voted the 3rd best international FBO in May 2008 in AIN - Aviation International News.[3]

Future

Expansion of the airport is limited by noise issues, a lack of space, and the necessity to preserve the cultural heritage (the airport buildings). With the completion of the third runway at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport there is a capacity surplus at that airport, and there are conflicting views on whether to use the land occupied by Bromma Airport for residential and commercial purposes.

Bromma's main advantage over the much larger Stockholm-Arlanda Airport is its proximity to the centre of Stockholm (about 8 km or 5 miles). However, Arlanda's fast rail link, completed in 1999, means that Bromma's competitive edge in this respect is somewhat lost. Both airports are now 20 minutes from the Stockholm Central railway station. Although, far from all passengers using Arlanda International go there by train, however fast. For Bromma Airport there has been discussion about a future light railway to pass by. It is now being built (Tvärbanan, to open year 2013), but it will not be so close, at least 1 km.

Still Bromma Airport remains popular with both airlines and passengers, especially among those disliking large airports, and those preferring taxi as transportation in a foreign city.

Environmental issues

When the airport opened in 1936 the surrounding area was mostly rural, however as the city has expanded noise has become an issue. Therefore certain measures have been put in place, such as limiting airport operations to the daytime, limiting the type of commercial aircraft which are allowed to operate from the airport and soundproofing residential homes near the airport. There has also been a suggestion of denying general aviation and flight schools use of the airport, in order to lessen the impact on the surrounding community.

Surface transport

Bus

Taxi

Airport parking

Other tenants

Bromma Airport is home of two flight clubs (Stockholms Flygklubb and SAS Flygklubb), as well as two flight schools (LidAir and Airways).

Airlines and destinations

Airlines Destinations
Blekingeflyg operated by Golden Air Ronneby
British Airways operated by Sun Air of Scandinavia Aarhus
Brussels Airlines Brussels
Finnair Helsinki
Flybe operated by Flybe Nordic Copenhagen [begins 23 January], Tallinn
Flyglinjen Jönköping
Flysmåland operated by Nextjet Växjö
Golden Air Trollhättan
Gotlandsflyg operated by Nextjet Visby
Gotlandsflyg operated by Golden Air Visby
Kalmarflyg operated by Nextjet Kalmar
Kullaflyg operated by Golden Air Ängelholm
Malmö Aviation Gothenburg-Landvetter, Malmö, Umeå
Nextjet Åre-Östersund
Skyways Express Seasonal: Copenhagen [begins 25 March]
Skyways Express operated by Avia Express Halmstad, Visby
Skyways Express operated by Direktflyg Halmstad, Visby
Sundsvallsflyg operated by Golden Air Sundsvall-Härnösand
Sweden Airways Palanga

Traffic and statistics

Busiest Routes from Stockholm-Bromma Airport (2010)
Rank Airport Passengers
1 Malmö 550,009
2 Gothenburg 429,490
3 Umeå 233,223
4 Ängelholm 179,979
5 Visby 179,130
6 Brussels 122,555
7 Ronneby 60,507
8 Växjö 52,341
9 Östersund 45,444
10 Sundsvall 42,713

Accidents

See also

World War II portal
Sweden portal
Aviation portal

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

External links