newstodate.aero

Feb 10, 2020 (newstodate): The Faroe Islands' Vagar Airport ended 1029 with a drop in cargo volumes by 23.5 percent, y-o-y.
   A total of 1,228 tonnes of cargo was handled at the airport, compared to 1,606 tonnes in 2018.
   The decline in 2019 does not constitute a problem, however..
   -In 2016, the airport handled only 487 tonnes, rising to 660 tonnes in 2017 - and skyrocketing to 1,605 tonnes in 2018. Handling 1,228 tonnes in 2019 is therefore no actual recession, says Regin Jakobsen, Vagar Airport CEO since December 2019.
    -Alongside Atlantic Airways' daily services, SAS launched flights on the route between Copenhagen and Vagar Airport on March 27, 2017- and since then the monthly passenger volumes have risen. In 2016, Vagar Airport thus handled 292,393 passengers - rising to 341,388 in 2017, to 377,813 in 2018, and to 424,281 passengers in 2019, up 12.3 percent, y-o-y. The sharp rise in passengers means less capacity for cargo on the flights.
   -Two other factors contributed to a certain drop in cargo volumes in 2019; the pallets with Faroese seafood on SAS flights proved unsuited for transfer to long-haul flights out of Copenhagen, and new equipment had to be found. Also the Faroese Islands' largest producer of seafood, Bakkafrost experienced a temporary snag in production in summer 2019, leading to a decrease in export shipments.
   -All in all, cargo plays a significant role for Vagar Airport - and the development is promising, says Mr Jakobsen.