The government has allocated money in its budget for the Swedish Transport Administration to maintain the system of so-called standby airports.
These airports are singled out as particularly important and constitute a central function when it comes to patient transport, emergency services, coast guard or other emergency operations.
The airports must keep personnel on standby around the clock to be able to receive flights.
- The needs during the pandemic have shown what a role emergency airports can play.
Also in the new, very serious security policy situation, access to standby airports will be absolutely essential for an unfortunately probably long time, says infrastructure minister Andreas Carlson (KD).
Three are removed
Sweden has ten permanent standby airports today and 17 temporary ones (see fact box).
Three of the temporary airports will be removed from the list next year – Norrköping, Eskilstuna and Skövde – but three will also be added: Halmstad, Skavsta and Västerås.
Skövde Airport was decommissioned in 2022 and Norrköping Airport will lose its mission due to the proximity to Saab's airport in Linköping.
Eskilstuna is also geographically close to Västerås.
According to the infrastructure minister, the goal is to have a better geographical spread with an emergency airport in each county.
Currently, Gävleborg county lacks one, but the Swedish Transport Administration has a mission to study which one it could be, and according to Andreas Carlson, Söderhamn airport is close at hand.
SEK 70 million
The proposal is implemented provided that the government's budget passes through the Riksdag and a decision is made next week.
Together with the Sweden Democrats, they have a majority.
The investment amounts to SEK 60.5 million per year, which is to be added to the SEK 9.5 million that is the basis of the emergency airports' financing.
- We see that there is a great need for aviation for actors in crisis preparedness and total defence, says Andreas Carlson.