Gressholmen Airport

Gressholmen
IATA: none – ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Deutsche Luft Hansa, Det Norske Luftfartsselskap
Serves		Oslo
Location		Gressholmen, Norway
Elevation AMSL		0 ft / 0 m
Coordinates		59°53′02″N 010°43′00″E
No longer operational. Seaplanes only, no runway

Gressholmen Airport was the main airport serving Oslo, Norway from 1927 to 1939, until the construction of Fornebu Airport. The airport was on the islet of Gressholmen, and was only for seaplanes. The landing ramp and the hangars are still intact, and are used for storage of pleasure boats.

The airport was served until 1934 by Deutsche Luft Hansa, with routes initially via Gothenburg and Copenhagen to Stettin, later Lübeck and Travemünde using Dornier Do J "Wal" and "Superwal", Rohrbach Ro V Rocco and from 1934 by Junkers Ju-52/3m-See seaplanes. Passengers were ferried by motor boat from the city's largest railway station, Oslo East Station. In 1935, the newly formed Norwegian airline, Det Norske Luftfartsselskap, took over the concession, operating Junkers Ju-52 from the airport. There were plans of starting transatlantic flights in cooperation with Pan Am, but services never commenced despite DNL purchasing a Sikorsky S-43 amphibious aircraft for this purpose.

The Norwegian term luftbuss, for air bus, was coined for the airline connection.

Gressholmen was not the first seaplane airport of Oslo. Neighboring island Lindøya was used as the base for the Det Norske Luftfartrederi‎ routes in 1920, and Bestumkilen for the A/S Aero operations, also in 1920.

See also

• List of the largest airports in the Nordic countries

External links

• By Whale to Oslo