Bergen Airport Flesland (BGO)

Estimated market size: 20,000 pax

Norwegian operates low-frequency, point-to-point flights to Paris Orly, mostly carrying leisure passengers. The proposed service to Paris CDG is a different proposition, offering offers business and leisure passengers a wide range of connections through another international hub. As one of Norway's major oil, gas, shipping and maritime centres, Bergen offers strong economic drivers support air travel demand to Africa, Asia, Middle East and the USA.

For instance, Tokyo is a major source market for tourism into the fjords, as is Seoul (Korea), where we are seeing a growing interest in our tourism product. There is also strong demand within our catchment to reach these two destinations to help support the travel demands of the fishing and maritime sectors.

Houston is another destination that has significant travel both ways – this is the number one oil and gas destination for companies operating in the petroleum industry on the Norwegian west coast. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are further destinations that the oil, gas a leisure markets want to reach from our region.

We see this route operating on a minimum five times weekly schedule to include Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Friday departures, with Thursday being the fifth rotation, tying into the Islamic weekend.

Estimated market size: 17,000 pax

We see this route as offering potential for business and leisure traffic both ways, where the main market drivers for business will be the financial services sector and in particular the insurance industry. Bergen is fast emerging as one of Norway's major financial centres and the leading centre for the financing and development of Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSOs). These international businesses underpin business travel demand to Bergen from other major financial centres, including the Swiss economic centre of Zurich.

We know at least 17,000 passengers annually travel between the two cities via alternative hubs such as Oslo and Copenhagen.

There is also a like for like economic relationship where both citizens of both cities share a similar GDP, meaning that holidaying and leisure travel will not be considered expensive by either party. Zurich also has some winter appeal for ski vacations and offers access for Norwegians into the Swiss business and finance communities. We see the possibility of strong uptake by Swiss tour operators, which we believe would support the market into Bergen and set up direct leisure air services to the Fjords.

We suggest that a twice-weekly (Thursday, Sunday) schedule be established, initially for the summer only, that fits the short and week-long travel needs of business and leisure passengers.

Estimated market size: 17,000 pax

Geneva would be a good alternative direct access point into the Swiss market.

Swiss visitors to Norway are on the rise and we estimate that consumers in the Bergen region would embrace Geneva as a city break destination and, given the high GDP per household income, Geneva would not feel expensive to Norwegians. Geneva would also have some winter appeal for ski/Christmas vacations.

We see the possibility of strong uptake by Swiss tour operators who we believe would support the market into Bergen.

Estimated market size: 20,000 pax

Although Budapest is a popular destination from Oslo, Eastern Europe is currently under-served from Bergen. Primarily, we expect the people of the Bergen region to support the service. Budapest is an attractive cultural city break destination as well as a major capital city. We have already seen in Bergen that routes to destinations such as Prague and Krakow have achieved good results.

With many Hungarians employed on the west coast of Norway each year (primarily at the oil & gas installations) and some arriving for leisure purposes, we believe that the operator would also benefit from inbound demand.

Estimated market size: 20,000 pax

As a major oil and gas centre – with significant interests in fishing and ship-owning operations – good connections to Russia are vital for Bergen for business competitiveness. The oil and gas industry in Bergen in the years to come will need better access to Russia.

Current tourism initiatives need the support of a direct route from Bergen to St. Petersburg. Our tourism agencies and ski regions are working hard to attract the interest of Russian tour operators and the evidence gathered to date suggests that this work is succeeding. Between January and May 2010, Russians spent 49,984 guest nights in Norway, an increase of 65% compared to the same period in 2009.

The market drivers from Bergen will be business and the city break offer. We see St Petersburg as a city break product that would receive massive consumer support, even with the visa requirements, which can be fast tracked using local tour operators.

The business market into Russia and onward connections to the North Cape would be another market driver, whilst we believe that on the inbound side, Bergen would attract significant tour operator support from Russia, both in the summer and for skiing in the winter – a number of Russian tour operators are already putting in tour programmes to Voss, the ski resort close to Bergen.

We see the best way to drive this market would be by introducing a daily service.