Billund Airport

Seasonal skiing destinations: Geneva, Salzburg and Innsbruck

The market for scheduled and charter flights to winter sport destinations are growing from West Denmark, as a result of the resent ban on sleeper-bus services from Denmark. Low-frequency, low-cost routes from Billund to the Alps and the Pyrenees shows potential:

• In total 400,000 Danes go skiing annually, primarily in Norway, Austria, France and Italy - circa 50% of these origins from Billund Airport's core catchment

• 140,000 Danes visited the Austrian skiing resorts around Salzburg and Innsbruck last winter and the number of Danes travelling to Austria is growth rapidly

Billund Airport has been well connected to the major Norwegian cities Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger through direct services for several years. Trondheim is yet to be served, and the route BLL-TRD shows great potential:

• O&D market of circa 12,000 indirect passengers in 2008

• The passenger flows are dominated by business and VFR passengers, meaning that leisure is yet to be stimulated.

• West Danish tour operates will support a direct service heavily, as their guests will save 1-1.5 days of driving to reach Nordkapp in the Northern part of Norway.

Vienna is one of the destinations from West Denmark which shows significant potential - the demand for a direct service is quite high:

• O&D market of circa 20,000 indirect passengers in 2008

• 280,000 Danes visit Austria annually - 50% originates from Billund Airport's core catchment and the number is growing rapidly

• The trade flows are significant between West Denmark and Austria. Furthermore, a large number of West Danish and Austrian companies have established subsidiaries in their respective export markets.

• The West Danish market generates more than 500,000 connecting passengers which potentially could fly via the VIE hub to Eastern and Southern European as well as Overseas destinations.

The Hungarian Capital is a highly popular city-break destination to the West Danish market. A low-frequency route from Billund to Budapest would offer a great product to the leisure as well as business traveller segments:

• More than 100,000 Danes visit Hungary every year. 45-50% of these guests originate in West Denmark. A wide range of West Danish tour operators organise packaged holidays to Budapest.

• A large number of West Danish companies have established subsidiaries in the area around Budapest, and a low frequency flight BLL-BUD would be able to satisfy their need of ferrying staff between their HQs in Denmark and factories in Hungary.

Traffic flows between West Denmark and Poland are growing rapidly as a result of increasing business activities between the two regions. Furthermore, the number of Polish migrant workers in West Denmark has increased significantly. There is a great potential for direct services between Billund and the various Polish regions:

• O&D market of circa 25,000 passengers per year

• Officially 7,500 Polish people live in Billund Airport's core catchment

• Seven weekly coaches operate between West Denmark and Poland, and one-way bus fares start at €145 one-way

• More than 130,000 Danes visited Poland annually - circa 45% originates from West Denmark's core catchment

• A huge number of West Danish companies have set up subsidiaries in Poland

The route from Billund to Madrid has been operated by a low-cost operator until the end of October 2008. In the last 12 months of operation 27,600 passengers used the twice-weekly service, generating average passenger loads of 70%. The route shows great potential, especially for the summer schedule:

• On top of the direct traffic circa 17,000 passengers travelled indirectly between West Denmark and Madrid in 2008.

• 30% of the traffic on the direct service was inbound to West Denmark, and 20% of the passengers on the twice weekly service were business related traffic.

• The West Danish catchment generates more than 100,000 passengers which potentially could connect at the MAD hub.

The West Danish catchment generates a significant number of passengers to Lisbon as well as other Portuguese destinations on an annual basis. A seasonal, low-frequency service between Billund and Lisbon shows a lot of potential:

• There is an existing, unstimulated O&D demand from West Denmark to Lisbon of circa 10,000 passengers.

• Various guided tours and golf tour operators will heavily support a direct service from Billund to Lisbon if it is introduced, as they currently charter ad-hoc flights in order to fly their guests to Portugal.