Moss Airport, Rygge

Moss Airport, Rygge Moss lufthavn, Rygge
IATA: RYG ICAO: ENRY
Summary
Airport type	Joint (public and military)
Owner	Royal Norwegian Air Force
Operator	Rygge Sivile Lufthavn AS
Serves	Moss, Norway
Location	Rygge
Elevation AMSL	53 m / 173 ft
Coordinates	59°22′44″N 010°47′08″E / 59.37889°N 10.78556°E / 59.37889; 10.78556Coordinates: 59°22′44″N 010°47′08″E / 59.37889°N 10.78556°E / 59.37889; 10.78556
Website	ryg.no
Map
RYG
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 12/30 2,442 8,012 Asphalt
Statistics (2013)
Passengers 1,890,889 Aircraft movements 22,056 Cargo (tonnes) 5
Source: Norwegian AIP at Avinor Statistics from Avinor

Moss Airport, Rygge (Norwegian: Moss lufthavn, Rygge; IATA: RYG, ICAO: ENRY) was an international airport serving Moss, Oslo and Eastern Norway. It is located in Rygge, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) outside Moss and 60 kilometres (37 mi) outside Oslo. It also served as a regional airport for Østfold county and owned and was operated by the private company Rygge Sivile Lufthavn AS.

Moss/Rygge shut down to all civilian traffic on 1 November 2016. The airport is however co-located with the still operational Rygge Air Station, operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force, who also own the land and runway. The control tower services (air traffic control) are operated by Avinor.

The airport opened on 8 October 2007, but did not officially open until 14 February 2008, when regular scheduled services started. The airport has a capacity for 2 million passengers per year, but could not reach this because of a concession limit of 21,000 annual air movements. The airport handled 1,890,889 passengers in 2013. The airport used to be a major base for Ryanair from March 2010 until October 2016 and was also served to a much lesser extend by Norwegian Air Shuttle and few charter operators. The airport has been closed for all civilian traffic by 1 November 2016 due to a proposal from its main commercial operator, Ryanair, to shut down its base at the airport on that date after a new Norwegian passenger tax was introduced.

The first aerodrome at Rygge was built in 1942 and 1943, but was located about 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) west from the current runway. The aerodrome was closed in 1945, but reopened in 1949 as a military aviation school, although the school only remained for two years. In 1952 it was decided that Rygge was to become a military air station which met NATO specifications. This included the expropriation of 600 hectares (1,500 acres) of land, costing NOK 12 million. The new Rygge Main Air Station was established on 15 September 1954, after investments of NOK 127 million. The old airport was closed and remained a camp until it was closed in 2003. Rygge Main Air Station hosted the 332 Squadron, and later the 336 Squadron and the 720 Squadron 330 Squadron. From 2003, the fighter jets were moved from Rygge to Bodø Main Air Station.