Ålesund Airport, Vigra
| Ålesund Airport, Vigra Ålesund lufthavn, Vigra |
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IATA: AES – ICAO: ENAL
 AES
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| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Avinor | ||
| Serves | Ålesund | ||
| Location | Vigra, Norway | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 21 m / 69 ft | ||
| Coordinates | 62°33′37″N 006°06′36″E / 62.56028°N 6.11°E | ||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 07/25 | 2,314 | 7,592 | Asphalt |
| Source: DAFIF[1][2] | |||
Ålesund Airport, Vigra (Norwegian: Ålesund lufthavn, Vigra) (IATA: AES, ICAO: ENAL) is an airport which serves the city of Ålesund in Norway and the surrounding regions Sunnmøre, Nordfjord and Romsdal.[1] The airport is located on the island of Vigra in the Giske municipality, northeast of Ålesund city centre and easily accessible through underseas tunnels. The airport is closing in on 1,000,000 yearly passengers and is experiencing a strong growth in international flights, as the only airport with scheduled international flights and dedicated international terminal areas between Bergen and Trondheim.
Scheduled services are offered by Norwegian to Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Alicante and London, by Scandinavian Airlines to Copenhagen, Bergen, Stavanger, Oslo and Trondheim and by airBaltic to Riga. In addition there are regular charter flights.
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[edit] History
The airport was opened in 1958, as the first in Møre og Romsdal. Scheduled flights were offered by Braathens S.A.F.E using de Havilland Heron aircraft, later replaced with Fokker F-27, Fokker F-28 and Boeing 737 aircraft.
Molde Airport, Kristiansund Airport and Ørsta/Volda Airport were opened in later years and serve as secondary regional airports for the region, providing domestic services today mostly served by smaller propeller aircrafts.
The current terminal was opened along with an extended runway in 1986, along with new underwater connections to the main city of Ålesund. Prior to this, ferries had to be used to get to the airport.
Before 1998, the airport was served by one airline, Braathens SAFE. In 1998 the new low-cost carrier Color Air started services to the new Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. Shortly thereafter, Scandinavian Airlines also starting services to the city. This resulted in a price war, and Color Air had to shut down. In 2001, Braathens was bought by Scandinavian Airlines, and SAS was the only airline operating at the airport. Norwegian started operations from Oslo to Aalesund Airport in 2002.
Today the airport is served by Scandinavian Airlines, its primary Scandinavian rival, Norwegian Air Shuttle, and Air Baltic. A new international section of the terminal opened in 2010 with separate areas for departure and arrivals from the airport's domestic destinations. International Tax free shops are available in both international arrival and departure areas.
[edit] Facilities
The airport resides at an elevation of 69 feet (21 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 07/25 with an asphalt surface measuring 2,314 by 45 metres (7,592 × 148 ft).[1]
[edit] Airlines and destinations
[edit] Destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| airBaltic | Riga |
| Air Memphis | Charter: Sharm el-Sheikh |
| Norwegian Air Shuttle | Alicante, Bergen, London-Gatwick, Oslo-Gardermoen, Trondheim Charter: Las Palmas |
| Scandinavian Airlines | Bergen, Oslo-Gardermoen, Stavanger, Trondheim Charter: Las Palmas |
| Scandinavian Airlines operated by Cimber Sterling |
Copenhagen |
[edit] Previous Operators
Color Air to Oslo-Gardermoen (1998-99)
Scandinavian Airlines to London Gatwick
Braathens to Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen, Bodø and Trondheim
[edit] Ground transportation
Bus services for the town centre (Aalesund/Sentrum) and outer town areas (Moa) leave after each arrival.
There is regular bus service (route 658) linking the airport with Ålesund.
Operated by Flybussen (http://flybussen.no/aalesund/index.asp?lang=ENG)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Airport information for ENAL from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
- ^ Airport information for AES at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ålesund Airport, Vigra |
- Avinor entry for Ålesund Airport
- Avinor entry for Ålesund Airport (Norwegian) (more detail)
- Current weather for ENAL at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for AES at Aviation Safety Network
- Aalesund Airport at Facebook
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