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COVID-19

Sweden scraps travel warning for four European countries

Sweden has lifted its advice against non-essential travel to four more countries as of July 30th, including Nordic neighbours Denmark and Norway.

Sweden scraps travel warning for four European countries
Neighbouring Denmark is one of the countries where travel from Sweden gets a bit simpler from Thursday. Photo: Fredrik Hagen/NTB scanpix/TT

The other two countries were Switzerland and the Czech Republic. 

The advice against non-essential travel was earlier this summer lifted for Belgium, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Croatia, Monaco, Luxembourg, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary and the Vatican.

In mid-July Andorra, Germany and Poland were added to the list but the warning was reinstated for Switzerland.

The ministry's recommendations against non-essential travel to other countries in the EU, EEA and Schengen area, as well as the UK, were on Wednesday extended until August 12th.

For countries outside the EU, recommendations against non-essential trips remain in place until August 31st.

The foreign ministry's advice against non-essential travel is not a legally binding ban, but has other implications, for example that your travel insurance may not be valid if you disregard the advice.

The guidance has been in place since an early stage in the pandemic, due to global uncertainty and travel bans, so it relates to restrictions in place for travellers rather than being based on the spread of infection in the countries.

It's important to remember that individual countries may also have their own rules about entry from Sweden, and that these may change quickly.

Denmark and Norway for example both only allow entry for tourism purposes from certain Swedish regions based on the local infection rate.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Stockholm’s Bromma Airport’s future in doubt after it loses 90 percent of air traffic

The future of Stockholm's second airport, Bromma, is in doubt after regional airline BRA struck a deal with SAS that will move nearly all flights to Arlanda Airport.

Stockholm's Bromma Airport's future in doubt after it loses 90 percent of air traffic

As of January 1st, BRA will operate flights on behalf of SAS with Stockholm’s principal airport Arlanda as a hub, the two airlines announced in separate press releases.

As a result, around 90 percent of air traffic will disappear from Bromma airport, according to the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.

“I don’t think the airport will survive without us,” Per G Braathen, president of the BRA airline, told a press conference.

“We have been present at Bromma for 25 years and it is not profitable to run this airport. We need to concentrate on Arlanda,” he added.

The deal with SAS extends for over seven years and is worth around six billion kronor (530 million euros), BRA said in a statement.

The airline added that its fleet would be expanded and “more pilots and cabin crew will be recruited”, while ground services and administrative functions would be reduced.

The integration of BRA’s fleet with SAS will enhance Swedish infrastructure but is also “positioning Arlanda as a stronger central hub for domestic and international travel”, SAS CEO Anko van der Werff said in a statement.

Jonas Abrahamsson, CEO of Swedavia which operates Sweden’s airports, said that Tuesday’s announcement meant that domestic flights would now be concentrated on Arlanda.

“Bromma in principle will be without scheduled services,” Abrahamsson said in a statement.

He added that while many travellers liked Bromma, “a consolidation of air traffic to Arlanda is a natural development”.

Bromma Airport will lose its biggest air traffic operator from the turn of the year. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

The city of Stockholm wants to close Bromma airport as soon as possible to make way for housing and infrastructure, but Swedavia has a contract to operate the airport until 2038.

Daniella Waldfogel, CEO of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the announcement and said it meant that the closure of Bromma should be “moved forward”.

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