Stockholm Arlanda's connectivity falling behind its Nordic & Scandinavian peers - time to privatise?

There is scant privatisation of airports in Scandinavia and the Nordic countries.

The principal example of it is Copenhagen Airports, partially privatised by a stock market flotation in 1994; but latterly, and after several changes of ownership, the Danish government has all but renationalised it.

Across the Kattegat Sea in Sweden several proposals have been put forward in recent years to privatise Stockholm Arlanda Airport, perhaps isolating it from the rest of Swedavia, the state organisation which operates the 10 busiest airports there.

Now might be an opportune moment, as the Chamber of Commerce has published a report bemoaning the fact that both Copenhagen and Oslo's main airport have left Arlanda trailing in their wake over the last 25 years.

Swedish aviation is a complex beast, with a heavy emphasis on environmentalism, but this is costing the country serious money, and the business community is not pleased.

However the Chamber, and previously the government, have only put forward half measures to solving the problem.

Making the big decision, to let the private sector have a go at managing Arlanda has been put on the back burner, and looks set to stay there, especially after what happened in Copenhagen.