Bergen Airport, Sandviken | |||||||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||||||
Airport type | Private | ||||||||||||||
Owner | Bergen Municipality | ||||||||||||||
Operator | Fonnafly | ||||||||||||||
Serves | Bergen, Norway | ||||||||||||||
Location | Kristiansholm, Sandviken, Bergen | ||||||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 0 m / 0 ft | ||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 60°24′34″N 5°19′05″E / 60.4095°N 005.3180°ECoordinates: 60°24′34″N 5°19′05″E / 60.4095°N 005.3180°E | ||||||||||||||
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Bergen Airport, Sandviken (Norwegian: Bergen sjøflyplass, Sandviken) is a water airport and heliport situated in the Sandviken neighborhood of Bergen, Norway. The aerodrome is located on the artificial peninsula of Kristiansholm. It is currently serving seaplane and helicopters operated by Fonnafly aimed at air taxi services at cruise ship tourists. The airport is owned by Bergen Municipality through Bergen Port Authority and is part of the Bergen Port. Operations are carried out by Fonnafly.
The airport opened in 1935, although it was not connected to land until 1938. Services were first carried out by Norwegian Air Lines on a coastal route to Oslo. From 1936 also a north-bound service was introduced. Sandviken was taken over by Luftwaffe during the World War II, but little used. Norwegian Air Lines resumed services in 1946 and the following year West Norway Airlines was established with their base at Sandviken. The airlines moved their scheduled flights to Bergen Airport, Hjellestad from 1948 to 1951. West Norway Airlines resumed scheduled flights from Sandviken in 1952, until they ceased operations in 1957. Bergen Airport, Flesland opened in 1955, thus removing most of the traffic from Sandviken.
The first air route in Norway was established in 1920 by Det Norske Luftfartsrederi. Using a Supermarine Channel, it received state subsidies to operate a route from Bergen via Haugesund to Stavanger. The service lasted from 16 August to 15 September. In Bergen the airline used a water airport in Sandviken.