Gothenburg City Airport, more commonly known as Säve Airport, will be closed for airline operations, says state-owned airport operator Swedavia. The company issued a press release earlier today where it announced that it has taken over the remaining shares in the company that runs the airport and that it has decided to initiate a gradual shut-down of Gothenburg City Airport.

The decision comes following in-depth analyzes of the runway system that shows that extensive measures are necessary for long-term development of the airport. The airport has been closed for heavy traffic since late November 2014, when routine inspections showed deficiencies in the bearing capacity at the runway system. Swedavia estimates the cost of the necessary repair works to roughly 250 million SEK (approx. €26.3 million EUR). The remaining airline traffic will be moved to the large Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport, some 28 straight-line kilometres away.

Swedavia says that the commercial operators at Gothenburg City Airport will be offered establishment opportunities at Landvetter Airport. In addition, dialogues will be held with remaining operators, like public service aviation and general aviation, with the aim to find long term-solutions. Swedavia says that these can continue to use the infrastructure until further notice.

The full extent of the gradual shut-down is not yet known. Gothenburg City Airport has been a regional hub for helicopters ever since the 2nd Navy Helicopter Battalion moved here from Torslanda in 1969. The military Helicopter Wing left the airport in 2006, but a large number of civil operators, including several public service branches, are stationed at Säve. The airport houses modern hangars for the Swedish Police Wing and the county’s EMS helicopter, as well as a regional base for the Search and Rescue helicopter, a maintenance base for the Swedish Maritime Administration, two large helicopter flight schools (Svensk Pilotutbildning andNorthern Helicopters) and an aerial work operator.

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