A HUGE new airport will be opening in a unique seaside city in Europe by 2029.
A brand-new international airport is currently being built in the Arctic Circle in Norway, according to Avinor – the country’s state-owned airport operator.
As reported by the Global Construction Review, construction work Bodø Airport, the long-awaited Arctic Circle airport, started at the end of last year.
New Bodø Airport is being built to free-up an area of land closer to the city centre for an urban development.
It means New Bodø Airport will replace Bodø Airport as the city’s main travel hub when it opens to passengers in 2029.
The new airport will be located around 900m south of the airport’s current site.
Earlier today, it was confirmed that Swedish construction group Ratos will build the Arctic Circle airport.
Meanwhile, Swedish building firm Peab slated to build the airport’s runway, taxiways and parking spaces.
A 25,00sqm terminal will be built as part of the project as well as other operational buildings.
Other specific details about the project, including any airport features and flight routes, have yet to be revealed.
It is thought that New Bodø Airport will cost $720million (£564million) to build.
When the airport opens in 2029, it will be able to handle up to 2.3million passengers every year.
A spokesperson for Anivor said: “The current airport will remain operational until the day before the new airport opens for operations.”
At the end of last year, Abraham Foss, Avinor’s chief executive, said: “At Avinor, we’re highly motivated to work together with our partners at the municipality of Bodø and in the Norwegian Armed Forces to build an airport that will become a hub for traffic into and out of the region.
“We’ve seen great enthusiasm throughout the city and among our employees.”
Several internal flights operate from Bodø’s current airport, including direct services to Oslo, Tromsø and Bergen.
An international flight also operates between Bodø Airport and Helsinki Airport in Finland.
That being said, getting to Bodø from the UK is fairly straightforward, with flights taking around five hours, with a change in Oslo.
What is there to do in Bodø?
While Bodø might not be top of everyone’s bucket list, it has in fact been named European Capital of Culture for 2024.
To celebrate, the Norwegian city is putting on 1,000 cultural events throughout the year, as Bodø was the first city north of the Arctic Circle to have been given the prestigious title.
The scheduled events have been described as “the largest cultural happening in Norway in over a decade”.
This summer, Bodø will host “Midsummer Madness”, which will include parties, concerts and outdoor games.
They’re also encouraging people to enjoy the “simpler pleasures” like picking berries, fishing, or having meals outdoors in arctic nature.
The city also has some pretty special and unique beaches, including one Norwegian Air describes as the city’s answer to Bora Bora, Hovdsundet.
They said: “Bodø’s answer to Bora Bora is the hidden paradise beach of Hovdsundet.
“The water comes in from both sides of the beach and the white sand is a mega Instagram favourite.”
And Norway isn’t the only country set to get a new airport, with others cropping up across Europe.
Warsaw Solidarity Airport, Poland
Poland’s new mega travel hub is expected to rival the likes of Heathrow and Dubai thanks to its proposed long-haul flights.
The new airport aims to enable passengers from Central and Eastern European countries to fly almost anywhere in the world – without having to travel to hubs in Western Europe first.
Plans are well underway to build Warsaw Solidarity Airport because Warsaw Chopin Airport (the city’s main airport) is nearing capacity.
While Poland plans to build on its overall passenger growth, the new centre will also help the country’s flag carrier (LOT Polish Airlines) to increase its passenger numbers too.
Salerno Airport, Italy
Pontecagnano (Salerno) Airport is currently undergoing a huge £400million renovation.
A longer runway will be built as part of the expansion, as well as five new boarding gates.
More than €250million (£214million) has been spent on the development of the commercial structures inside the airport.
The incredible designs behind the world’s biggest airport
Earlier this year, plans behind the world’s biggest airport were revealed – with flights set to take off by 2030.
King Salman International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will have a massive six runways and is expected to see 120million passengers each year.
The huge new travel hub will be spread across 57 square kilometres (22 square miles), with 12 square kilometres dedicated to recreational facilities and a retail space.
You an read more about the huge new airport, here.
Other developments are also underway in the local area, including a new metro, with five new stops, which will flank the Salerno Battipaglia railway line.
EasyJet will become the first-ever UK airline to operate flights between London and Salerno.