Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

AIRPORT

Swedish airports handled 30 million fewer passengers in 2020

Not since the early 1980s have so few people flown to or from one of Sweden's major airports as they did in 2020, a year marked by coronavirus and global travel restrictions.

Published: 11 January 2021 11:42 CET

Swedish airports handled 30 million fewer passengers in 2020

A passenger walking through Arlanda Airport in May. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

Many people appear to have heeded the Swedish authorities’ call to avoid travel if possible, especially over the Christmas season (although not everyone: The head of Sweden’s Civil Contingencies Agency was forced to step down earlier this year after it emerged that he had flown to the Canary Islands in December).

At Bromma Airport, which mainly handles domestic departures and arrivals, December travel fell 97 percent compared to the same month in 2019, according to Swedavia which operates ten of Sweden’s airports.

At Arlanda, Sweden’s largest airport, the corresponding drop was 85 percent, and at Landvetter in Gothenburg, 87 percent.

In 2020, more than ten millions travellers flew to or from one of Swedavia’s airports – a decrease by more than 30 million compared to 2019. There’s not been a year with fewer passengers since the early 1980s, said Swedavia.

The downturn started before the pandemic (albeit at far less dramatic levels), with flight taxes and climate change at the forefront of the Swedish public debate in recent years. In 2019 the number of passengers fell by four percent compared to the year before.

Total number of passengers at Sweden’s airports in 2020 (change compared to 2019 in brackets):

Bromma Stockholm: 478,680 (-80 percent)

Göteborg Landvetter: 1,576,788 (-76 percent)

Kiruna: 110,432 (-59 percent)

Luleå: 420,202 (-64 percent)

Malmö: 526,179 (-73 percent)

Ronneby: 50,835 (-75 percent)

Stockholm Arlanda: 6,535,429 (-75 percent)

Umeå: 292,728 (-70 percent)

Visby: 122,744 (-73 percent)

Åre Östersund: 140,572 (-70 percent)

In total: 10,254,589 (-74 percent)

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

How would a 'youth mobility scheme' between the UK and EU really work?

Across the 27 countries of the EU, people of all ages can move countries to work, study, spend a long visit or chase the possibility of love – and all this is possible thanks to EU freedom of movement.

That freedom no longer extends to the UK. As a result of Brexit, a UK national who wants to move to an EU country, or an EU citizen who wants to move to the UK, will need a visa in order to do so.

However, a new ‘mobility scheme’ could re-create some elements of freedom of movement, if the EU and UK can come to an agreement.

The European Commission on Thursday announced proposals for a ‘youth mobility scheme’.

Who would benefit?

First things first, it’s only for the youngsters, older people will have to continue with the time-consuming and often expensive process of getting a visa for study, work or visiting.

The Commission’s proposal is for a scheme that covers people aged 18 to 30.

Their reasoning is: “The withdrawal of the UK from the EU has resulted in decreased mobility between the EU and the UK. This situation has particularly affected the opportunities for young people to experience life on the other side of the Channel and to benefit from youth, cultural, educational, research and training exchanges.

“The proposal seeks to address in an innovative way the main barriers to mobility for young people experienced today and create a right for young people to travel from the EU to the UK and vice-versa more easily and for a longer period of time.”

How would it work?

We’re still at an early stage, but the proposal is to allow extended stays – for young people to be able to spend up to four years in the EU or UK – under a special type of visa or residency permit. It does not, therefore, replicate the paperwork-free travel of the pre-Brexit era.

The Commission states that travel should not be ‘purpose bound’ to allow young people to undertake a variety of activities while they are abroad.

Under the visa system, people must travel to a country for a specific purpose which has been arranged before they leave – ie in order to study they need a student visa which requires proof of enrolment on a course, or if they intend to work they need a working visa which often requires sponsorship from an employer.

The proposal would allow young people to spend their time in a variety of ways – perhaps some time working, a period of study and then some time travelling or just relaxing.

It would also not be subject to national or Bloc-wide quotas.

It seems that some kind of visa or residency permit would still be required – but it would be issued for up to four years and could be used for a variety of activities.

Fees for this should not be “excessive” – and the UK’s health surcharge would not apply to people travelling under this scheme.

Are there conditions?

Other than the age qualification, the proposal is that young people would have to meet other criteria, including having comprehensive health insurance, plus financial criteria to ensure that they will be able to support themselves while abroad.

The visa/residency permit could be rejected on the ground of threats to public policy, public security or public health.

Will this happen soon?

Slow down – what’s happened today is that the European Commission has made a recommendation to open negotiations.

This now needs to be discussed in the Council of Europe.

If the Council agrees then, and only then, will the EU open negotiations with the UK on the subject. The scheme could then only become a reality if the EU and UK come to an agreement on the terms of the scheme, and then refine the fine details.

Basically we’re talking years if it happens at all, and there’s plenty of steps along the way that could derail the whole process.

Don’t start packing just yet.

Url copied to clipboard!