Norway – Bergen BGO and Tromsø TOS Airports
Norway
.
October 2011
.
BERGEN AIRPORT (BGO)
.
Just a plain airport near a fjord, some 12km southwest of Bergen city, opened in 1955 and second busiest in Norway. We had to catch an early evening flight to Oslo (more than 30 flights/day), en route to Tromsø, on a Friday when the airport was at full capacity. The departure concourse was small, with low ceiling, and jam-packed with people, that we had to retire to a corner next to the international gate to while the time.
.
Nothing spectacular about its exterior, and I find the car more interesting.
The check-in area is one big hall, nothing really notable. Norway’s second busiest in this box, no wonder it’s perpetually congested.
.
.
TROMSØ AIRPORT (TOS)
.
TOS is actually a nice modern airport on Tromsøya island’s western side, just 4.5km via the tunnels from downtown Tromsø, located on the other side of the island. At latitude N69.68°, it’s one of the most northerly airports in the world.
Yes, Tromsø Lufthavn — very similar to the German word ‘Lufthafen’.
Check-in concourse with the self-service kiosks. So easy and fast to use, for your own check-in and baggage-tagging. Similar arrangement in Bergen airport too.
Destinations served. Hammerfest at N70.68° is possibly the northernmost airport on the Scandinavian mainland. Our Oslo flight is #4 for today.
Past security, we are in the main departure concourse.
We are so early, even the cafe next to us is not yet open.
Our Oslo flight is now at the top … man, I should go further north to Longyearbyen!
It’s sunrise behind those barren, rocky, snow-capped mountains on the mainland.
Push-back and start.
An SAS plane taxies to the runway threshold, take-off is from Runway 19.
The modest control tower, with Kvaløya island at the back.
Our Norwegian Boeing 737-300 taxies to the threshold for take-off, and we get a nice view of Sandnessund Bridge (1220m long), connecting Tromsøya to Kvaløya, another island to the north. The waterways in this area are all fjords.
Ready for take-off, Runway 19.
Airborne, and a splendid morning view of Tromsø to the left.
Soon we are among the awesome fjords of northern Norway, en route to Oslo Gardermoen, some 1:50hrs away. Barren rocky mountains and deep steep fjords, thanks to the colossal glaciers of the last Ice Age.
> THE END
