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Norway has 98 airports with ICAO codes, 48 of which facilitate public flights. The busiest airport in the country is Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, which is also the main international gateway. Other major airports include Bergen Airport, Flesland; Stavanger Airport; and Trondheim Airport, Værnes. These airports act as hubs for airlines such as Norwegian Air Shuttle, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), and Widerøe. With its stunning fjords, snow-capped mountains, and vibrant cities, Norway offers a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural attractions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of airports in Norway | 98 |
| Number of airports facilitating public flights | 48 |
| Number of airports owned by the government | 45 |
| Main international airports | Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Tromsø, Trondheim, Ålesund, Haugesund, Sandefjord |
| Main international gateway | Oslo Airport |
| Main domestic hub | Oslo |
| Major airlines | Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Norwegian Air Shuttle, Widerøe |
| Airports with military presence | 12 (2 owned by the Norwegian Armed Forces, 10 co-located with primary airports) |
| Private aviation | Hokksund Flyplass, Gullknapp near Arendal |
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What You'll Learn
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Norway has 98 airports, 48 of which facilitate public flights. The busiest airport in the country is Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, which serves Oslo, the capital and most populous city of Norway. It is the second-largest airport in Scandinavia and the Nordics. It is a hub for Scandinavian Airlines and a base for Norwegian Air Shuttle, Norse Atlantic Airways, and Widerøe. In 2025, it was connected to 31 domestic and 164 international destinations. The airport is located 19 nautical miles (35 km; 22 mi) northeast of Oslo, at Gardermoen, on the border of the municipalities Nannestad and Ullensaker, in Akershus county.
The site of Oslo Airport, Gardermoen was first used by the Norwegian Army from 1940, with the first military airport facilities being built during the 1940s. It served as a reserve airport for Oslo Airport, Fornebu, until the latter closed in 1998. Gardermoen grew as a training field for commercial airlines and as a local airport for general aviation. In 1974, passenger numbers were at 269,000 per year. In 1983, SAS and Braathens SAFE had to move their charter operations to Gardermoen, increasing passenger numbers to 750,000 that year. Several expansions were made to the runway after the war, and by 1985, the north-south runway was 3,050 metres (10,010 ft).
The first airports to serve Oslo were Kjeller Airport, which opened in 1912, and Gressholmen Airport, which served seaplanes after its opening in 1926. Norway's first airline, Det Norske Luftfartrederi, was founded in 1918, and the first scheduled flights were operated by Deutsche Luft Hansa to Germany with the opening of Gressholmen. In 1939, a new combined sea and land airport opened at Fornebu.
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Bergen Airport, Flesland
Norway has 98 airports, 48 of which facilitate public flights. Bergen Airport, Flesland, is one of the major airports in Norway, along with Stavanger Airport and Trondheim Airport, Værnes. It is located about 18 kilometres south of Bergen city and is Norway's second busiest airport, with over 3.8 million passengers entering its terminal buildings each year. The airport serves Vestland county and the city of Bergen, and offers 36 direct routes from large European cities, including Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and London.
The planning for an airport in Bergen began in the 1930s, with various reports recommending Flesland as a suitable location. However, concerns about the topography and limited runway length at Flesland led to considerations of alternative sites, such as Herdla. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) continued to favour Herdla due to its better topography, but the director of the CAA, Einar Bøe, raised concerns about the limited runway length and the long travel distance from Herdla to the city.
Engineering reports in 1950 and 1951 proposed a solution for the runway length issue at Flesland by connecting the proposed area to a larger area south of the valley, allowing for a 3,000-meter-long runway. This, along with the high cost of constructing a new airport at Herdla, led to the decision to build Bergen Airport, Flesland, at its current location.
Today, Bergen Airport, Flesland, is easily accessible by car, bus, train, and boat. The airport bus takes about 25 to 30 minutes to reach the city centre, and there are also three hotels within walking distance of the airport terminal, making it a convenient option for business travellers.
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Bodø Airport
The airport became fully operational in 1956, though the civilian terminal opened in 1952. Fighter jets have been stationed at Bodø since its early days. In 1988, NATO invested significantly in the airfield to enable it to accommodate large air forces in emergencies. The current civilian terminal was completed in the spring of 1990, and the number of passengers has grown significantly over the years.
The Norwegian Aviation Museum is located next to the airport in a distinctive propeller-shaped building. The museum exhibits a range of military and civilian aircraft, including a Lockheed U-2, a Gloster Gladiator, a Supermarine Spitfire, and a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter. The museum is a "national museum" funded through the national budget and was established by the government, the local city council of Bodø, and the county council of Nordland.
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Tromsø Airport
Norway has 98 airports, 48 of which facilitate public flights. These airports are grouped into primary airports, which are large enough to accommodate jetliners, and regional airports, which can only handle regional aircraft. The four major airports in Norway are Oslo Airport, Gardermoen; Bergen Airport, Flesland; Stavanger Airport; and Trondheim Airport, Værnes.
The history of aviation in Tromsø dates back to the 1930s when the first airport was a water aerodrome at Skattøra in the neighbouring Tromsøysund Municipality. During World War II, it was taken over by the Luftwaffe and expanded. After the war, a new seaplane route was established with a daily service to Trondheim using a Junkers Ju 52 aircraft. In 1956, with the opening of Bardufoss Airport, passengers from Tromsø were transported there by bus. The Civil Airport Administration stated in 1950 that Tromsø, as Northern Norway's largest town, deserved its own airfield.
The current Tromsø Airport was officially opened on 14 September 1964, replacing the water aerodrome at Skattøra. Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) received the concession to operate the route from Oslo to Tromsø, with direct flights and onward connections to airports in Finnmark. Widerøe relocated its seaplanes to Langnes, stationed at a small water airport adjacent to the terminal building. Over the years, various airlines have operated at Tromsø Airport, including Braathens SAFE, Busy Bee, and Norwegian Air Shuttle, which has been flying from Langnes since 1992. Lufttransport also has its main operating base at Tromsø Airport.
The airport has two terminals: Terminal A, which opened in 1997, and Terminal B, which was built in 1977. Tromsø Airport offers a range of dining and shopping experiences for passengers, and its runway can accommodate aircraft such as the Sud Aviation Caravelles operated by SAS.
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Trondheim Airport, Værnes
The airport boasts two terminals, A and B, covering a combined area of 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft), of which 13,500 square metres (145,000 sq ft) is dedicated to passenger facilities. Terminal A, constructed in 1994, serves domestic traffic, while Terminal B, the renovated former main terminal from 1982, handles international traffic. The airport features a main east-west 2,999-metre (9,839 ft) runway and a disused northwest-southeast 1,472-metre (4,829 ft) runway. It also boasts an integrated railway station, with the train service to Trondheim taking approximately 40 minutes, and an airport hotel.
Trondheim Airport is served by major airlines such as Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Norwegian Air Shuttle, and Widerøe, for which Værnes is a focus city. The main route is the service to Oslo, operated by Norwegian, SAS, and Widerøe, which is one of the busiest routes in Europe. Additional domestic services are operated by Airbus A320, Boeing 737, Dash 8, and Embraer E2. International routes are also operated by airBaltic, Finnair, KLM, and Wizz Air, which has daily flights to other Norwegian destinations like Stavanger, Bodø, and Tromsø.
Travellers can conveniently reach the city centre from the airport by airport coach or local train services. The coach operator Værnesekspressen offers two routes, both serving all stops in the city centre. These coaches depart from outside the domestic arrivals hall and take around 30 to 35 minutes to reach the city centre. The local train service, accessible via the airport's indoor waiting area, provides hourly departures throughout the day, with fewer departures in the evenings and on weekends.
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Frequently asked questions
The main international airports in Norway are in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Tromsø, Trondheim, Ålesund, Haugesund, and Sandefjord. Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the busiest airport in the country, serving as the main international gateway.
There are more than 50 smaller airports in Norway, making even remote places such as the Lofoten Islands, the North Cape, and the Svalbard Islands easily accessible by plane. Bodø Airport and Tromsø Airport act as hubs within Northern Norway, from which Widerøe flies to regional airports.
You can reach Oslo city centre from the airport in 20 minutes with the Flytoget Airport Express train. There are also express buses and local trains available.
