NextJet (Stockholm Arlanda) will begin Saab 340 flights connecting the northern Arctic towns of Tromsø, Norway, Oulu, Finland, and Luleå, Sweden with effect from January 12, 2015. The flights are expected to boost cooperation between the three cities, especially during the bleak winter months.
Known as Arctic Airlink (Luleå), the service is a joint venture between the carrier and Arctic Link AB, a consortium in which the three cities' municipalities each own a 16% stake with the Chamber of Commerce of Norrbotten in Sweden owning 52%.
Initial funding for the five year contract with NextJet amounts to almost EUR10million (USD12.44million) with subsidies to be supplied in the event the operation fails to break even in its first year.
Previous attempts at operating the routes have met with failure. Despite European funding, Barents Air Link (Luleå) was forced to suspend its 3 year-old operations in 2007 after the routes proved a financial failure.
