Tag Archives: Svalbard Airport
PASSING THE TEST, EPIC FAIL AT MAKING THE GRADE: Man w/ negative COVID-19 test hastily sent from Svalbard Airport back to Oslo after skipping mandatory quarantine on mainland;
A Norwegian man who returned to Olso from London on Thursday and then took a flight to Longyearbyen on Friday was forced to immediately return to the mainland for not fulfilling the mandatory 10-day quarantine there, according to The Governor of Svalbard.
The man did get a quick test for the COVID-19 virus that was negative at Gardermoen Airport shortly before departure from Oslo, thus reducing the odds he or those on the flight he was in contact with are the first to bring a case of the virus to a settlement in Svalbard.
PLEASE BE A DIM BULB NEAR THE AIRPORT: Pilot landing at Svalbard Airport blinded by bright car lights, officials say
People driving within the vicinity of Svalbard Airport are being asked by officials to not have their bright headlines on after a pilot reported being blinded by them while landing Sunday.
SOLFESTUKA CANCELLED, AIRPORT CHECKS HEIGHTENED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS: City urges other events organizers to evaluate plans; stricter flight rules means all passengers will be questioned
Update 6:45 p.m.: The Norwegian Polar Institute has also announced it is cancelling much of its travel and meetings.
Original story: The remainder of the events for this year’s Solfestuka festival have been cancelled due to coronavirus concerns and organizers of other events are being urged to evaluate their plans, Longyearbyen’s city government announced Wednesday. In addition, Svalbard Airport announced heightened scrutiny of all passengers following stricter guidelines imposed by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
(This is a breaking story in progress. More details being added now and as they become available.)
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of May 23, 2017
Svalbardbutikken hires new staff due to empty shelves
Svalbardbutikken is hiring two additional managers to help keep goods in stock after the going through months of empty shelves in various parts of the store.
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Jan. 3, 2017
Small tykes ask for big things from Santa in their letters
“I want to be a billionaire. and my own telephone.” Such were the requests from kids mailing letters to Santa this year using his custom mailbox at the foot of Mine 2B. Other requests included everything from dogs, to servents to machine guns to yachts.
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Nov. 22, 2016
Governor rejects Store Norkse’s tourism plans for Svea
A proposal to turn the inoperative Svea coal mine into a year-round tourist destination has been rejected by The Governor of Svalbard due to the potential environmental impact of the project.
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Oct. 25, 2016
Runway upgrades may cause sharp drop in flights, tourism next summer
Replacing the lights and smoothing out the surface on the runway at Svalbard Airport may severely affect tourism next summer, according to industry officials. The runway is scheduled to be closed nights during June and July, thus preventing one of two flights usually offered daily during the summer by Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Airlines.
Under development: Government’s proposed budget for Svalbard in 2017 boosts science and airport security, omits avalanche projects – for now
New scientific research facilities and a few new officers to boost airport security are in. Avalanche-related construction projects are out – for now, although that might change during the next few weeks.
Pilot light: Norway keeps eye on new solar panels being tested at Svalbard Airport
Logic might suggest that if you’re doing a trial project testing the practicality of solar cells it’s not a great idea to install them shortly before you’re plunged into total darkness for a few months.
Using Finns to fly: First international flights at Svalbard Airport scheduled by Finnair beginning next summer
Finnair will become the first airline to offer scheduled international service to Svalbard Airport with direct flights between Helsinki and Longyearbyen from June 1 to Aug. 27 of next year, the airline announced in a press release this week.
“During midsummer we will provide three weekly flights to Svalbard, which is mainly aimed at European customers, but can be also be connected from our Asian flights,” said Petri Vuori, Finnair’s Vice-President of Global Sales, in a prepared statement.
That means three airlines will be offering regular flights to Longyearbyen next summer, in contrast to the monopoly Scandinavian Airlines had for five years until 2013. Discount carrier Norwegian Air resumed service in March of that year, significantly boosting and redefining Svalbard’s tourism industry in ways both praised and criticized. Still, many locals are hoping the additional competition will allow the positive aspects to continue.
“Let the bidding wars commence,” wrote Benjamin Vidmar, a Longyearbyen resident, in the comments section of a Barents Observer article about the announcement. “Now I hope the prices come down as more airlines come online. Presently it is more expensive to fly from Oslo to Longyearbyen, than it is to fly from Oslo to just about anywhere else in Europe.”
Initial round-trip fairs at Finnair’s website start at 198 Euro (1,829 kroner) for the roughly three-hour flights. The inaugural inbound flight is scheduled to to depart Helsinki at 11:45 p.m. (Finnish time) and arrive in Svalbard at 1:45 a.m. (local time). It is scheduled to depart Longyearbyen at 2:45 a.m.
Passengers flying to and from the Longyearbyen will need to go through passport control and customs since Svalbard is not part of the Schengen Area.
