ESA approves additional Norwegian aid for construction of a new airport in Mo i Rana

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) has today approved additional aid granted to Avinor AS for the construction of a new airport near Mo i Rana, a city located in northern Norway.

The project aims to provide the Helgeland region with a larger airport and improved connectivity to the rest of Norway and the EEA. The investment also aims to support regional development.

The new airport will be part of the nation-wide network operated by Avinor and will replace the existing airport at Røssvoll. It will be located about 11 kilometers from Mo i Rana in Nordland County.

ESA previously approved aid for the project in 2022 . In March 2023, Avinor applied for additional funding as a result of a revised cost estimate and the extension of the runway by an additional 200 meters.

The Norwegian authorities submit that the project cannot be completed as planned without this additional support. After careful assessment of the facts and arguments submitted by the Norwegian authorities, ESA finds that the additional aid is compatible with the EEA Agreement. With the additional aid, the airport is expected to reach full capacity by spring 2027, around six months later than what was planned in ESA's initial decision.

ESA's conclusion is that the additional aid measure is in line with EEA state aid rules and has no objections to its implementation.

A non-confidential version of ESA's decision will be published here shortly.

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