“We are on the limit of our capacity”
As the number of international passengers in Tromsø has more than tripled, airport staff are struggling to cope with the increased traffic.
Tourism boom
According to the latest statistics from Avinor - the state-owned company that operates most of Norway's civil airports - Tromsø is becoming increasingly popular.
In February 2023 the total number of passengers in the international terminal at Tromsø Airport was 29,144, while in February 2025 the number almost quadrupled to 111,791 passengers, according to statistics published on the Avinor website.
Tromsø Airport director Ivar Schrøen told the Barents Observer that on March 19 2025 about 10,000 people have used the airport , which is about 3,000 more than last year:
"This is all driven by tourism. These are tourists who come from all over Europe and Asia to see the Northern Lights," airport director Ivar Schrøen told the Barents Observer.
As a result, major airlines are opening more and more flights to the Arctic capital.
“Our winter routes to Tromsø and Rovaniemi are very popular, and we will continue flying these routes also next winter,” - Magnus Thome Maursund, Chief Commercial Officer of the airline Norwegian said in February this year.
Earlier in May 2024, another major local airline, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), announced that “responding to the increasing demand from travelers seeking winter adventures in the North” it was expanding its services with five new direct routes, including to Tromsø.
“We see a significant rise in Europeans traveling to Northern Scandinavia during the winter season and we are very pleased to be able to increase our departures to this part of the world,” Erik Westman, Chief Revenue Officer at SAS said.
Other airlines, such as EasyJet and Lufthansa, are opening more and more direct flights to Tromsø from European cities as well.
This increased demand is clearly visible in the statistics for the number of international flights. In February 2022, Tromsø had only 102 international flights, but in February 2025 the number had risen to 904, according to Avinor.
Airport struggling
With such growing demand, the local airport had to undergo a major expansion. A new international terminal was opened in 2024. The terminal can handle an additional 2,500 passengers per week, NRK reported.
But as the number of passengers keeps rising each year and because the airport is located above the Arctic Circle with tough weather conditions, the airport's staff is struggling.
"We are basically at the limit of how much traffic we can handle," Tromsø airport director Ivar Schrøen told the Barents Observer, "and when you add in the winter weather on top, we have had some issues."
On days when flights are canceled due to stormy weather, the airport can descend into chaos, with huge queues and panicked tourists.
One of the key issues according to the airport's director is the amount of security checkpoints at the Tromsø airport:
"We only have four lines of security screening, but we need six," Tromsø airport director Ivar Schrøen told the Barents Observer.
