Stockholm-Arlanda International Airport

The Stockholm-Arlanda International Airport is the biggest airport in Sweden, and is located approximately 28 kilometers outside of Stockholm. During a year, the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport assists and accommodates approximately 17 million passengers, but has a capacity to deal with 25 million passengers a year. Originally, the airport was built in 1959 for practice flights, but in 1960 the airport was turned over for civilian use and commercial airline traffic.

There are four terminals at the Stockholm-Arlanda International Airport. All international flights and their passengers are taken care of by Terminal 2 and Terminal 5. Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 are used for all domestic flights and passengers. During 2003, a central building was erected, namely the Arlanda North. This new building connects Pier 14 with Terminal 5. Arlanda North is utilized by the international flights that are managed by Star Alliance and SAS. The building that stands between Terminal 4 and Terminal 5, is called Sky City, offering a shopping center for passengers and serving as a railway station for the main line. In total, between all the terminals, the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport has 64 passenger gates. The airport also has five hangars, five cargo terminals and three runways. This makes the Stockholm-Arlanda International Airport extremely impressive in size and the facilities that they offer. The three runways that are used for both take offs and landings are the 2,500 meter 08/26 runway, the 3,301 meter 01L/19R runway, and the 2,500 meter 01R/19L runway, with the first two being concrete and the latter runway being asphalt.

The facilities available at various airport terminals include restaurants (of which there are approximately 33), a wide variety of stores, ATM’s, banks, bars, a pharmacy, a chapel, conference facilities and hotels. The lounges are all fitted with power points, so travelers are able to recharge their cellular phones, or work on their laptops. Parking areas around the terminals are available in different categories such as long and short term parking, multi-storey parking garages, indoor and outdoor facilities.

Transportation to and from the Stockholm-Arlanda International Airport is well taken care of. The Arlanda Express runs between the Stockholm Central Station and the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. Bus services are available and it is the cheapest way to travel. Taxi drivers are required to ask a set price when leaving the airport, to ensure that all taxis are asking the same fare. Car rental agencies such as Hertz, Europcar and Avis operate directly from the airport.

The Stockholm-Arlanda Airport has gone to extreme measures to ensure that the airport is accessible to everyone, including disabled travelers. The Sky City building has text telephones available for hearing-impaired passengers, and all restrooms, lifts and parking areas are accessible to wheelchairs.