“We are very happy to have this route but the demand has gone down which means that we cut back on traffic during a period up until autumn”, says Charlotte Holmbergh, director of communications at Norwegian.
On 28 October 2024 Norwegian returned to Skellefteå after an interruption since the years 2017-2018 and established air traffic to Stockholm five days per week. The demand was then so big that Norwegian decided to increase to six departures starting from 30 April this year. This will now not be the case, instead they will decrease traffic to two days per week from 4 April. Departures will run on Fridays and Sundays which is suitable for weekend traffic and weekly commuting.
– We are very happy to have this route but the demand has gone down which means that we cut back on traffic during a period up until autumn, says Charlotte Holmbergh, director of communications at Norwegian.
She does not currently have a date for when Norwegian will increase traffic again in autumn.
– Norwegian’s investment unfortunately came just as Northvolt took a downturn. But I’m convinced that the development for the battery factory will turn around again. The green transition, with Skellefteå at the centre, cannot be stopped. Additionally Boliden is making large investments and the Norrbotnia railway will finally be built, says Robert Lindberg, MD at Skellefteå Airport.
Someone who concurs is Sofia Lindström, regional coordinator at Västerbotten’s chamber of commerce and convenor of Skellefteå Flight Council.
– All parties agree that the development in Skellefteå will continue but it may take a number of months with decreasing travel volumes before the development hopefully turns around, says Sofia Lindström.
“Norwegian’s investment unfortunately came just as Northvolt took a downturn”, says Robert Lindberg.
Robert Lindberg says that the timetables for the establishment primarily were adapted for traffic up to Skellefteå for consultants and subcontractors.
– Which came to a halt in connection with the Northvolt crisis, says Robert Lindberg.
Sofia Lindström thinks that it is a wise move for Norwegian to remain in Skellefteå but with fewer departures.
– The Flight Council’s assessment is that if we were to lose an airline now a future re-establishment and thereby long-term competition situation would be rendered impossible, she concludes.
From 4 April Norwegian will fly between Skellefteå-Arlanda Fridays and Sundays.
Sofia Lindström and Robert Lindberg says that there were 18 months of hard work from different actors to get Norwegian back to Skellefteå and that this has had very positive effects.
– Norwegian’s entrance onto the market meant that the price of flight tickets were reduced which benefited the local population, enterprise, the public sector and tourism, says Sofia Lindström.
Robert Lindberg concludes that it is fairly unique to have two airlines for domestic traffic.
– Not even Gothenburg has that, says Robert.
“Norwegian’s entrance onto the market meant that the price of flight tickets were reduced which benefited the local population, enterprise, the public sector and tourism”, says Sofia Lindström.
Skellefteå Flight Council has put in work to inform the companies about trying to spread the wealth and benefit both SAS and Norwegian in order to achieve balance between them.
– And many have also done so, Sofia Lindström says in closing.
From 4 April the route Skellefteå - Arlanda will run in accordance with the following timetable:
Fridays: Arlanda-Skellefteå 15:25 and Skellefteå-Arlanda 17:00
Sundays: Arlanda-Skellefteå 14:50 and Skellefteå-Arlanda 16:30