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 per cent 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 number of operational airports in India has doubled from 74 in 2014 to 157 in 2024, with plans to reach 350-400 by 2047. Domestic air passengers have more than doubled, making India the third-largest domestic aviation market. The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS-UDAN) launched in 2016 has significantly contributed to this growth.
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”.
