April 27, 2024

Expansion and modernization: Danish Border Airport hopes to triple in size thanks to German passengers

Sonderborg Airport is not far from the German border. The Corporation and the municipality are investing millions in expansion. The airport should also become attractive to German travellers.

The airport in Sønderborg, Denmark is always closed on Saturdays. The only exception is December 24, when the airport is open from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Weekday hours are 7:00 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. Nothing is currently necessary since there is only one line connection. Air Alsie Express flies to the Danish capital up to four times a day.

Last year, about 50,000 passengers used the airport bearing the International Air Transport Association (IATA) code, SGD. It doesn’t have to stay that way. The Bitten og Mads Clausens Fond and the municipality of Sønderborg are investing about 212 million kroner (28.4 million euros) in the renovation and modernization of the airport, which opened in 1969. Now the foundation stone has been laid. The goal is to triple the number of passengers by 2027. This would make the airport slightly smaller than Erfurt.

Free parking and shuttle service to Germany

Germany’s neighbors should help, too. Flensburg, with a population of about 97,000 and the third largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, is only about 40 minutes away by car. Sonderborg Mayor Eric Lauritzen appreciates Schleswig-Holstein newspaperDue to its central location on the German-Danish border, the airport could become the closest airport for nearly a million people on both sides of the border.

They want to tempt their German neighbors with two things: free parking spaces and a shuttle bus to Germany. The free parking in particular makes it particularly attractive to travelers from northern Germany, according to the head of the Per Have Foundation. The Northern Germany Shuttle aims to enable passengers to travel quickly and easily from Germany to Sønderborg and elsewhere around the world.

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The shuttle is from the year 2025

The planned start of the shuttle service is 2025. It is still unclear where the bus will depart for the airport. “Flensburg is an opportunity to try it,” says the organization’s president, referring to similar offers at other European airports.

The airport will be modernized and expanded in two phases. Plans call for converting lighting to LEDs by 2025, building a new taxiway and upgrading the ILS instruments and navigation system. The number of flights and passengers is expected to increase starting next year.

New station from 2027

The second phase begins with the architectural tender for the new station in the third quarter of 2024. Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2025, and the building, built according to sustainable principles, is scheduled to be completed in 2027. Then operation times can also be extended.