Rapid Growth Leads to Grand OSL Airport Expansion Plans
Avinor, which owns and operates Gardermoen, plans to build a second terminal and a new pier at the existing terminal. When completed, the project will increase Gardermoen's passenger capacity to a staggering 35 million pax annually. The first expansion stage should be completed by 2012.
The number of travellers at Gardermoen increased by a substantial 8 per cent in 2007, to 19 million passengers.
The growth is much faster than expected. The aiport, which opened in 1998, was originally designed to handle 17 million annual passengers. This has been increased to 20 million, but the growing passenger numbers will soon surpass this number.
By 2012, the first expansion step will give Gardermoen a passenger capacity of 27-28 million per year.
The new Terminal 2 will be built west-southwest of the existing terminal, and the new pier will be south-north oriented. Both will be connected to today's main terminal.
"The solution which has been chosen has been the result of a thorough process," says Avinor's group CEO Sverre Quale. "During the course of this process many alternatives were considered and various bodies provided their views and we believe that the chosen solution successfully safeguards the many considerations we must take into account."
A final decision on the expansion plans is expected in early 2009.
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