Today, there are 10 state emergency airports in the country and now there will be 16 more who go into elevated emergency mode temporarily, until 28 February.
Among them are the Småland airports in Växjö, Kalmar and Jönköping.
- We need to ensure that we have sufficient capacity at the country's airports in the event that the development becomes such that we need to transport patients or staff in different parts of the country in the coming weeks, says Tomas Eneroth (S), during a press conference on Tuesday.
According to Eneroth, the regional airports have had difficulty maintaining their capacity when the situation has been so tough financially.
SVT Nyheter Småland has previously reported that ambulance flights were denied landing in Växjö due to a lack of personnel.
Preparedness will be a boost for the staff
At Växjö Småland Airport, you welcome today's news - and believe that it can be a boost for the staff.
- We handle ambulance flights and call in staff when the airport is closed, but we have no official assignment to finish it.
Now we can instead have staff on standby and then we can guarantee that we can open up the airport if the weather allows, says Ulf Axelsson, CEO of Växjö Småland Airport.
How does this affect financially?
- I do not think it will be that much, but I have not had time to count yet.
The idea is that it is compensation against cost.
I do not think it will improve our finances that much, but I do think it is important for the staff to feel needed.
It will be a real "boost" for them.
Hope to get started in February
Right now, not many flights take off from Växjö Småland Airport.
There are still private flights, school flights and ambulance flights, but no flights with scheduled passengers.
- It is a dark and sad period now during the pandemic.
We want to get started and fly with passengers again.
Our first flight goes on the first of February, to the Canary Islands, and it is fully booked.
We can only hope that it has settled down by then, says Ulf Axelsson.