When we think of arctic regions, we tend to think of icebergs, snow, cold, polar bears, and penguins. Many documentaries feature such areas, and you probably wondered, how did the documentary team reach there, and can I have the chance to visit too?

While most trips to the Arctic are done using boats, plane service to the winter lands also exists. However, most flights to the Arctic are usually special flights chartered by research teams or occasionally documentary teams. For example, in 2021 a HiFly A340 conducted a flight to Antarctica with scientists and a small number of tourists, along with some essential cargo. This flight is not a scheduled flight, only being bookable as part of a luxury travel package.

So, if Antarctica is too far for scheduled flights, how close can we reach the Arctic by just buying flights using the conventional method? That airport is located in Norway, and it is called Svalbard Airport. The airport is known for being the northernmost airport with scheduled commercial service and is also located in the world’s northernmost settlement with a population of more than 1,000 people.

A Necessary Airport for the Region

Construction of Svalbard Airport started in 1973 and was completed in 1975. This was not the original airport serving Svalbard as there was an airstrip constructed near Adventdalen during World War II. After the war, the Svalbard area began growing as a mining town, and as a research center for arctic sciences, biology (the famous Svalbard Seed Vault is here), and geology. Arctic tourism also made Svalbard popular. With growing demand and the introduction of jet aircraft, the old airstrip was not suitable for regular passenger service, so the new (current) airport was built to replace the old one.

While the airport itself is located in Norway, the nearby Russian community of Barentsburg and Pyramiden made Aeroflot service necessary to the region. When talks surrounding the new airport were taking place, the Soviet authorities were concerned that the new airport might be used by the Norwegian and NATO forces despite the Svalbard Treaty (which forbids military installations from being installed on Svalbard). However, the Soviets still needed an airport for their Aeroflot service to Svalbard and came to an understanding with Norway regarding the new airport.

Since the region is way up north, the airport had to be built on permafrost. Hence, the runway is insulated into the ground, while the hangar buildings are ‘frozen into’ the ground since the pillars were melted into place and frozen stuck. This did not prove sufficient enough as the runway was eventually plagued with frost heaves, so it had to be re-paved regularly until 1989 when the runway was re-insulated.

There is only one runway at the airport, and it is equipped with an instrument landing system. Culverts on both sides of the runway allow water to be drained. A layer of frost-stable fill is under the runway to prevent the soil beneath from thawing in the summer. There are no taxiways.

In 2007, the terminal building was upgraded to accommodate more passengers due to increased traffic. The airport handled 154,261 passengers in 2014 (in comparison, LaGuardia Airport handled 26,972,095 passengers in the same year).

Scheduled Commercial Flights

Svalbard Airport currently sees scheduled commercial flights from Oslo and Tromsø operated by SAS and Norwegian, 5 times a week each. Most flights between Oslo and Svalbard have an intermediate stop at Tromsø before continuing to Oslo/Svalbard using the same aircraft and flight number. SAS, unlike Norwegian, offers direct flights between Oslo and Svalbard.

SAS flights are operated by A320neos, while Norwegian flights are operated by Boeing 737-800s. One-way tickets from Oslo usually cost $190 but can go as low as $140 on Norwegian. If originating from Tromsø, prices go down as low as $56.90!

Unlike some other special flights, since this is a scheduled service, it is possible to redeem SAS EuroBonus Points for award travel to Svalbard. Also, since SAS joined SkyTeam last September  it is possible to book partner award flights to Svalbard too!

The airport, since its opening, has seen mostly domestic flights to and from Oslo except for Russian flights. Norway took away the airport’s international status in 2017, again except for Russian flights. This was due to the airport not being in line with guidelines for international airports, and modifying the airport would be too costly for Norway. Russian flights are no longer operated to and from the airport presumably due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It is notable that while Norway is part of the Schengen Area, Svalbard is excluded. There is no passport control area at Svalbard Airport, so exit checks are done once the flight lands at Oslo or Tromsø.

Lufttransport, a charter carrier that flies air ambulances and government contracts, also has a base at Svalbard Airport. While the airline does not fly scheduled flights, it has 2 Dornier 228s based at Svalbard and conducts aerial surveillance on behalf of the Norwegian Coast Guard. It also flies weekly services to Svalbard’s other airport, Ny-Ålesund Airport. This flight is operated as a ‘corporate charter’ and needs permission from Kings Bay (which operates the whole Ny-Ålesund region) to buy tickets.

The airport has all the necessary needs for the typical tourist, from rental cars to taxis and airport shuttles to hotels in the area. There are also 200 free parking spaces outside the airport.

Is flying to Svalbard Airport on your bucket list? Let us know in the comments!