(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
AFP
Stockholm: Swedish regional airline BRA and Scandinavian airline SAS on Monday announced a deal that would move nearly all flights from Stockholm's Bromma airport to the larger Arlanda airport, putting the future of the city's second airport in doubt.
As of January 1, BRA will operate flights on behalf of SAS with Stockholm's principal airport Arlanda as a hub, the two airlines announced in separate press releases.
As a result, around 90 percent of air traffic will disappear from Bromma airport, according to the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.
"I don't think the airport will survive without us," Per G. Braathen, president of the BRA told a press conference.
"We have been present at Bromma for 25 years and it is not profitable to run this airport. We need to concentrate on Arlanda," he added.
The deal with SAS extends for over seven years and is worth around six billion kronor (530 million euros) BRA said in a statement.
The airline added that its fleet would be expanded and "more pilots and cabin crew will be recruited", while ground services and administrative functions would be reduced.
The integration of BRA's fleet with SAS will enhance Swedish infrastructure but is also "positioning Arlanda as a stronger central hub for domestic and international travel," SAS CEO Anko van der Werff said in a statement.
Jonas Abrahamsson, CEO of Swedavia which operates Sweden's airports, said that Tuesday's announcement meant that domestic flights would now be concentrated on Arlanda.
"Bromma in principle will be without scheduled services," Abrahamsson said in a statement.
He added that while many travellers liked Bromma, "a consolidation of air traffic to Arlanda is a natural development."
The city of Stockholm wants to close Bromma airport as soon as possible to make way for housing and infrastructure, but Swedavia has a contract to operate the airport until 2038.
Daniella Waldfogel, CEO of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the announcement and said it meant that the closure of Bromma should be "moved forward".
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