Record growth brings new investment at fast-expanding Aarhus

In 2018 Denmark’s Aarhus Airport sailed to the top of the growth table in Europe’s far north as Scandinavia’s fastest growing airport based on passenger volume development, concluding the year with continued bouyancy and producing net growth of +80% international passengers overall and a blended growth of +31% in total domestic and overseas customers.  Aarhus confirmed it had doubled international travellers passing through the airport in the second half of the year amid unprecedented network growth.

“There is no question that 2018 was a fantastic year for Aarhus”, commented David Surley – the Airport’s head of airline relations. “it was a major growth period for international passenger traffic, we welcomed nine new routes and a new international base by SAS while the arrival of easyJet was a first for mainland Denmark.  Tourism has expanded in Aarhus faster than any other major Nordic city and our economy is literally fizzing with continued strength, expansion and opportunity as we stepped in to 2019”.

The development of the Airport’s traffic has not been unnoticed and last week the majority shareholder Aarhus Kommune (the Municipality of Aarhus) which owns approximately 90% of Aarhus Airport A/S, along with two other municipalities in the region, confirmed that a private Danish investment partner had expressed a desire to acquire 20% of the Airport operating company.  In a statement issued on 21 March by Aarhus Municipality it recognised the extreme upturn in passenger traffic and destination reach that the Airport had achieved in just 12 months since acquiring the facility as part of the City’s ongoing major infrastructural developments.

“Aarhus Municipality notes significant turnaround at the Airport including new and heavy investment by SAS and easyJet, so welcomes the desire by a private equity investment partner to join the municipalities on this basis, in further developing the Airport’s business plan, facilities, services and amenities, with an even higher level of ambition and further marked increase in future passenger numbers”.  The Municipality’s aviation drive is to continue widening the number destinations and services available to the 1.38 million people residing and working in the Greater Aarhus area, which is the Nordic region’s fifth largest metropolitan area after its four national capitals.

The investor, Staus A/S, is an Aarhus-based investment company founded by entrepreneur Jens Stausholm who’s interests include JS World Media, an interactive marketing and media company operating worldwide.  Aarhus Municipality stated, “Together the three municipalities are joined in our desire to widen the owner group by welcoming and including Staus A/S in an expansion of related share capital”.  

On Monday 1st April, Aarhus Airport welcomes its first new route of the year with another new service by SAS Scandinavian Airlines flying three times weekly by Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft to Manchester.  In 2019 SAS will serve 11 destinations from its Aarhus base including new flights to Faro Algarve in Portugal and Rome’s Fiumicino Airport in Italy from 6th April, also increasing frequencies such as three-weekly to Split in Croatia and twice-weekly to Nice in France.   DAT will operate new seasonal flights to Chania (Crete), Zakynthos and Bornholm, while new flights to Varna will also link Aarhus with Bulgaria.