– It is just tragic that you no longer have the opportunity to go on holiday domestically, says Kathrine Fjelleng Mikalsen to Dagbladet.
She and her partner, Christoffer Robin Jensen, live in Kjøllefjord with their two children Cedrik (3) and Caspian (5). Kathrine says that they had a strong desire to visit her parents, who live on an island outside Sandnessjøen.
But when they checked the ticket prices for the days during the winter holidays, they got a big surprise.
The family has to shell out around NOK 50,000 for a return trip if they are to travel from the nearest airport to Mosjøen.
– You can’t do much other than shake your head and roll your eyes. It’s just tragic, says Mikaelsen.
It was NRK who mentioned the matter first.
1500 kilometers away from each other
There are several things that Mikaelsen finds annoying about the stiff ticket prices, including the fact that she gets to see her family much less often.
– The worst thing is that our children do not have the same relationship with their grandparents as they could have had.
– A completely different match
According to Mikaelsen, the children and her parents get to see each other about twice a year in the summer. Because it is possible to drive a car to and from the grandparents, as long as you steel yourself to sit behind the wheel for many hours on end.
– The drive is around 1,500 kilometres, and then you have to count on driving for at least two days. This is because we cannot drive together with two small children in the car.
– The planes are our public transport
The cohabiting couple also cannot send Cedrik (3) and Caspian (5) alone on a plane, so that the ticket costs are halved.
Firstly, they are too small, and secondly, there are no direct flights.
– There is not just one, but two plane changes. First in Tromsø, then in Bodø.
– Wagging for Brussels
Hurtigruta is the second option after flying. But like driving a car, it also takes just over two days.
– The planes are our public transport up here. We also use planes when we go for a regular routine check-up at the hospital, because it is 43 miles away from where we live.
Understand the frustration
Siv Mossleth, parliamentary representative for the Center Party, agrees that the price of the short-haul network is too high.
– The short rail network is Northern Norway’s public transport system; it is a very important offer for people who live in the north. I have great understanding that people react, says Mossleth to Dagbladet.
She says that the Center Party wants to do something about the disadvantages of living in the rural areas.
– We have plans to reduce flight prices, because we want it to be possible to both live and run a business throughout the country, says Mossleth.
The Storting representative understands the frustration of those who have to pay high prices to travel.
– It is unheard of for there to be such a large price difference for flying domestically. But we have a plan for improvement in the future, concludes Mossleth.
– Completely incomprehensible
It hasn’t always been so expensive to travel to Sandensjøen, says Mikaelsen. According to her, the worst increase came at the same time as the corona restrictions.
– Fewer people traveled, and then we could understand it a little. But now it is completely incomprehensible. We checked the prices before Christmas as well, and then it cost around 33,000 – 34,000 for the four of us, says the mother.
– So we have to save for a long time if we are going to travel, she continues.
On Friday, Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård presented a new national strategy for Norwegian aviation.
– Haven’t told him
State Secretary Bent-Joacim Bentzen in the Ministry of Transport and Communications says that their aim is to halve the price of the plane tickets the government buys, in line with the Hurdal platform.
– We are in a contract that the previous government entered into with the airlines. We are now working on looking at the prices for the next contract which comes into effect on 1 April 2024, says Bentzen to Dagbladet.
Limited funds
– The reason why the ticket prices on the commercial flight routes are higher than the ticket prices on the tender routes is because we fly the commercial routes without subsidies from the state. Here, the prices reflect what the flight actually costs.
This is what communications advisor in Widerøe, Lina Lindegaard Carlsen, writes to NRK and points out that it is important to distinguish between the different types of flight routes.
The State Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Communications says that they have limited funds which they must distribute throughout the country, and that they will therefore not be able to cover the entire need.
– Our trust is weakened
– We spend around 900 million on financing offers where the companies do not consider that there is a commercial basis. Beyond that, we are bound by the EEA agreement and the regulations on free competition, so we cannot subsidize all routes, says Bentzen to Dagbladet.
Staying at home
Bentzen emphasizes that they must nevertheless make use of the leeway to contribute funds where they see that it is possible on the government contracts.
The family in Kjøllefjord has decided not to travel north this winter holiday.
– We have no option when the price is almost 50,000 for a week, and that is only for flights. To get to my parents, we have to take a ferry after the plane, and then it won’t work.
