The owner of the airline BRA, Per G. Braathen, is coming down hard on the government regarding the Bromma issue.
”"We cannot make such decisions in the middle of the pandemic when no one has scientific facts about what will happen in the future," he tells TT.
The company is instead preparing for a fresh start in May.
The government's announcement earlier this week about the closure of Bromma Airport has met with criticism from several camps. The airline BRA, with its operations based precisely at Bromma, is no exception.
Per G. Braathen is primarily critical of the lack of transparency surrounding Swedavia's report on the matter.
”"I haven't seen Swedavia's report, but when it was made, the situation was significantly different from now. BRA was in reconstruction and Norwegian was assessed as likely to disappear, while SAS had not received capital. All three companies are now on their way back," he says.
”"However, I'm not that worried. If the government had been in the majority, I would have been," he says.
Braathen also highlights that a number of airlines around Europe, for example, Lufthansa, Air France/KLM as well as the low-cost airline Easyjet, have received various forms of financial support. A move for BRA is therefore unthinkable without an expansion of Arlanda Airport.
”"I am prepared to move to Arlanda when there is room for us. Per Bolund (MP) says that no one wants to fly with empty capacity, but he cannot decide which companies will now come back. In addition, the airlines will adapt their fleets to demand."”
Braathen highlights that his own BRA is a clear example of this. After being in reconstruction during the outbreak of the pandemic, it is now ready to start up again. In May, the company will start flying domestically again, initially to twelve destinations, but the intention is for the route network to double during the year. Twelve aircraft in service will gradually become 24 when it primarily focuses on leisure travel, where the opportunities currently exist, according to Braathen.
”"I don't think Gothenburg, for example, will ever return to the same levels. I think the train will take a significantly larger share there. Stockholm–Malmö, on the other hand, will be extremely good, and on Stockholm–Skellefteå, for example, Northvolt is one of our customers."”
”"I believe leisure travel will return to where it was before, when it accounted for 50 percent for us."”
But is this enough to run the company?
”"Absolutely. We can be reasonably profitable with just twelve aircraft. We have completely different flexibility now, but it will be leisure travel that drives our business."”
If you look at Stockholm–Visby, for example, there are four airlines that will fly this summer. Does it sound very unlikely that there could be enough data for all four?
”"To Umeå, profitability has been difficult with three different airlines, so it is extremely competitive," says Braathen, and does not rule out exclusion from such destinations.
You are starting up at the same time as the restrictions are extended. How sure are you that this is really the right time?
”"We've had about ten start-up plans so far and if we hadn't believed in this, we would have pulled the brakes. I think the summer will be good with a lot of domestic tourism in Sweden. Then we'll see what happens with business aviation this fall."”
60-year-old Per G. Braathen is a veteran in the travel industry. In 1989, he took over the CEO position of the charter airline Always, and in 2002, his investment company Braganza acquired the Swedish airline Malmö Aviation, which a couple of years ago merged with Sverigeflyg under the name Braathens Regional Airlines, BRA.
As chairman of the board of Scandic, he has also seen how the business has been affected differently in the Nordic countries depending on which corona strategy the country's government has chosen. He chooses to be flexible when it comes to reviewing the different strategies but notes that when history is written, you will see who did right or wrong. However, he notes that the business support and how it was launched have looked significantly different in the Nordic countries.
”"There has been a big difference. Norway has been the fastest and best at handling business aid. Denmark has been good while Sweden has been extremely slow, even though things have improved, but the support came too late."”
Chamber of Commerce: Investments in Arlanda must be made immediately. Carl Bergkvist, business policy expert at the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, on the government's decision to close Bromma Airport.
Source: TT
