Avinor confirms scheduled opening date for New Mo I Rana/Helgeland Arctic Circle Airport
Avinor EVP Anders Kirsebom confirmed (17-Apr-2026) plans to open New Mo I Rana/Helgeland Arctic Circle Airport on 30-Sep-2027. Avinor stated work on the airport has addressed three challenges which have delayed progress on the project - the requirement for a longer runway, larger terminal building and settlement conditions. Avinor added that the challenges "could have resulted in a delay of a whole year", which has instead been reduced "by a full nine months". Avinor is scheduled to take over the airport from AF Group contractors on 19-Feb-2027, with the airport to be "technically completed by this date" ahead of an approximately seven-month testing phase. Mr Kirsebom stated: "All good forces have worked purposefully and hard to make up for as much of the delay as possible and we believe that we have succeeded very well on the way. We have managed to make up for a lot, but not all, of the delay that comes as a result of the airport being built larger and that we encountered extensive challenges with the settlement conditions in Fagerlia". [more - original PR - Norwegian]
Background ✨
Avinor signed with AF Gruppen for the full New Mo I Rana/Helgeland Arctic Circle Airport build, following a partial contract to start works in summer 2023; the scheme was described as including a 6000sqm terminal and a 2400m runway.1 2 Avinor earlier said a 2400m runway could not be delivered within the cost framework, recommended state funding of up to NOK150 million, and indicated opening would slip to spring 2027.3 Avinor also laid the terminal building’s foundation stone and cited an estimated NOK4.6 billion investment, with operations expected in 2027.4