Arvidsjaur, as well as several neighbouring municipalities, is becoming increasingly known for expansive testing activities in the automotive industry. This is not something that has evolved by chance. The vehicle testing business largely benefits from the northern natural resources such as snow, cold and darkness.
Within the region, there are also unique values when it comes to untouched nature, which offers fantastic experiences such as hiking, rafting and hunting and fishing, just to name a few. Nature experiences end up higher and higher on the list of what visitors value.
“Our most important role today and in the future is to ensure that the regional and international infrastructure has sufficient capacity, so that business and private travelers can get to and from the region without difficulty. There are many growing companies in our vicinity, and we must be able to meet their needs and promote continuous growth with the opportunity to also establish new businesses here”, says Carina Johnsson, Airport Manager at Arvidsjaur Airport.
Keeping the hinterland alive
At present, Arvidsjaur Airport has daily connections with a handful of hubs in Germany, all of which are important to the automotive industry. A reconstruction is currently underway where Arvidsjaur Airport is preparing to return to more normal conditions with more passengers and more frequent trips.
The airport plays a crucial role in enabling industrial development in the region. At the same time, Arvidsjaur Airport accounts for a significant part of regional development by providing alternatives for regular travel. The state traffic obligation provides Arvidsjaur with 1,200 domestic frequencies and approximately 45,000 airline seats per year.
”There are several large companies in the region, both private and public, that need good and secure connections with the rest of Sweden. The fact that we have well-established connections with the possibility of several hubs in Sweden is in many ways a prerequisite for keeping the northern hinterland alive”, says Carina Johnsson.
Need to expand long-term
Very exciting things is about to happen in Arvidsjaur and around the airport in the future.
In addition to German tourists who long for such things as the northern lights and the tranquility of the interior of northern Lapland, the region will probably also be visited by more business travelers when the industry begins to recover from the pandemic. Not only in vehicle testing, but also in other cutting-edge businesses. An example is business linked to the restart of the K4 regiment, as Arvidsjaur will once again become a military hub in northern Sweden.
In order to continue to be a driving force for the region, the airport must expand. In addition to the establishment of the latest connection to Cologne, there are long-term plans on developing the surrounding area closest to the airport. This will most likely be of interest to companies that want to establish their operations near the airport and thus benefit from the existing infrastructure.
