Ärna
| Ärna / Uppsala Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Uppsala | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 68 ft / 21 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 59°53′50″N 017°35′19″E / 59.89722°N 17.58861°E | ||||||||||||||
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Ärna or Uppsala Airport (ICAO: ESCM) is an airport located northwest of Uppsala, Sweden. It is a base of the Swedish Air Force and the former home of the 16th Fighter Wing (F 16). In 2009, it was announced that the Armed Forces had the intention to phase out its airport unit on July 1, 2010 and hand over the operation of the airport to a private operator. However, on 19 December 2009, it was announced by the Supreme Commander that the Armed Forces will continue with its military air operations at the airport. This is because the alternative proposals to locate the flight operations were not feasible.
The company Uppsala Airport AB (formerly Uppsala Air AB), formed in 2004, has applied to the government for permission to start commercial aviation at Ärna. The company claims, based on calculations made in 2009 and 2010, that in five years' time the airport could serve up to 1.6 million passengers every year. The emphasis would primarily be on low cost flights and charter flights.
On 18 April 2011, the Environmental Court (Miljödomstolen) ruled that commercial air traffic at Ärna would be likely to have a significant impact on the environment, and recommended the government to decline Uppsala Airport AB's application.
Strong criticism has been expressed both from several environmental organizations and local residents against opening a commercial airport at Ärna. According to a poll among people from Uppsala municipality, conducted in June 2010 by an opinion research institute on behalf of Sveriges Radio, 40% of the 576 respondents were in favour of a commercial airport while 39% were against and 21% were undecided.
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