In the last five years, Karlstad airports' loss has been around SEK 30 million and 2021 was no exception.
The result for 2021 remained at minus SEK 33,849,000.
- I see 2021 as a good year, after all.
We budgeted for a deficit of 35 million and made a deficit of 34 million, this in the middle of a pandemic, says Karlstad airport's chairman Mikael Lundström.
Record number of passengers
The number of passengers in 2021 was lower than at any time during Karlstad Airport's history.
A total of 3,830 passengers used the airport last year.
If you exclude the airport company's loss on the number of passengers, Karlstad airport went back with SEK 8,837 per passenger.
- The commercial operation was the largest previously with upwards of 300,000 passengers during the 1990s.
We will not get there again.
But the charter is starting to return after the pandemic.
Now we drive full planes every week to Gran Canaria, says Mikael Lundström and lists further examples of upcoming charter investments that he hopes will give the business air under its wings again.
No scheduled flights
However, scheduled flights from Karlstad are still missing.
Karlstad airport has not had a regular flight to any major airport in Europe since BMI closed its Frankfurt route in 2019.
- We lack a regular line to any hub in Europe, which we also work with.
But it is important not to press the button too fast because we need to make sure we have a passenger base that allows an operator to be profitable in such a line, says Mikael Lundström.
In the video above, Mikael Lundström talks about his vision for the future of aviation and Karlstad airports.