Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen

Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen
IATA: KKN – ICAO: ENKR KKN Location of airport in Finnmark
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Avinor
Serves		Kirkenes
Location		Høybuktmoen
Elevation AMSL		283 ft / 86 m
Coordinates		69°43′32.81″N 029°53′28.66″E
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
06/24	6,939	2,115	Asphalt

Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen (IATA: KKN, ICAO: ENKR) (Norwegian: Kirkenes lufthavn, Høybuktmoen) is a primary airport located at Høybuktmoen in Sør-Varanger, Norway. The airport is located 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) from Kirkenes, at the base of a peninsula jutting into Varangerfjord. It is owned and operated by the state-owned Avinor. It contains a 2,115-by-45-meter (6,939 by 148 ft) asphaltrunway numbered 06–24. This allows the airport to serve jetcraft, and offers direct flights by Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle to Oslo. The airport acts as a hub for Widerøe, serving ten regional airport in Eastern Finnmark. In 2009, the airport served 277,678 passengers.

History

Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-300 landing on Runway 06 during heavy rain and wind

In 1941, during World War II, the Luftwaffe constructed two runways, at 1000 and 1200 meters, near Kirkenes to perform attacks on the Soviet Union. The runways were destroyed during the German retreat in 1945.

Widerøe had been performing sea plane flights to the city until the new civilian airport was opened in 1963 − at the same time as the two other primary airports in Finnmark, Alta Airport and Lakselv Airport, Banak. The new airport had extended the length of the two runways, one of which was since closed. The airport could then handle direct flights to Oslo, but first operator was Finnair with DC-3 services from Ivalo.

When the regional airport network opened in Finnmark in 1974 Høybuktmoen Airport became one of the hubs where local flights could connect to Oslo flights. Murmansk in Russia was the only international connection at Høybuktmoen Airport, operating three times a week until the route was discontinued by Widerøe.

The new terminal building opened on 4 May 2006, replacing the original building from 1963 which lacked facilities for international arrivals, and lacked sufficient space for the traffic the airport was receiving.

Airlines and destinations

Scandinavian Airlines Boeing 737-700 at Kirkenes Airport

Widerøe Dash 8-100 aircraft

Airlines	Destinations
Norwegian Air Shuttle	Oslo-Gardermoen, Tromsø
Scandinavian Airlines	Oslo-Gardermoen
Widerøe	Alta, Berlevåg, Båtsfjord, Hammerfest, Honningsvåg, Mehamn, Sørkjosen, Tromsø, Vadsø, Vardø

Ground transportation

The airport is connected to the E6 highway. There are several buses serving the airport, synchronized with arrivals. Taxis are also available.

Expansion

There are plans for runway extension that would enable year-round airliner services to Central and Western Europe. The estimated cost is 270 million Norwegian krone, with the expected completion in 4 to 5 years.

References

• Avinor page on KKN
• Word Aero Data entry on KKN