Prime Minister Erna Solberg says Gotland is the only place in Sweden Norwegians can travel to. Now the head of the island’s airport will have direct flights to Norway.
Gunnar Jonasson, head of Visby Airport in Gotland, acted quickly after Norway today designated Gotland as the only place in Sweden Norwegians can travel to without having to quarantine when they get home.
Jonasson has already been in contact with several airlines to set up direct flights between Norway and Gotland.
– It was a very unexpected message. The airlines were not prepared for this either. But if there is interest, we can set up direct flights quickly, it can happen within a couple of weeks. They are fast, Jonasson tells Swedish Radio.
Between 13,000 and 15,000 Norwegians visited the Swedish island last year, says Frida Ganshed Gotland’s visiting association to SR.
Skepticism on Gotland
Erna Solberg stated that Norway will now open for the Nordic countries from June 15 during a press conference on Friday. She nevertheless emphasized:
– But this only applies to regions with acceptable infection pressure. Let me emphasize – this is not just about where to spend the holidays this summer. We must plan for travel restrictions to last over time. We can get new outbreaks in different places before there is a vaccine, Solberg said.
Thus, it is still open for limited entry into Sweden. But Gotland is the only place in Sweden that meets the infection criteria right now.