Stockholm Arlanda Airport

Foundation and early years

Stockholm Arlanda Airport was opened on 1 April 1962 by King Gustaf VI Adolf.

In 1983, the domestic traffic operated by Linjeflyg moved from Bromma to Arlanda, using the terminal now known as Terminal 4. In 1990, two new domestic terminals, Domestic 2 and 3, opened south of the first domestic terminal. In 1992, Terminal 2 was partly abandoned because of traffic decrease. It started to be used for international traffic the year after, and the main domestic and international terminals were renumbered to 4 and 5.

Early 2000s

The third runway was built between 1998 and 2002; however, a recession in 2002 delayed its opening until 2003. At that time, protests were raised by people living under its flight path in the municipality of Upplands Väsby. Traffic has recovered since and is now showing healthy increases, but the third runway is only used during peak hours for environmental reasons. In September 2010, the first Airbus A380 landed at the airport.

In early 2014, Swedavia announced plans for further expansions of the airport terminal complex, including the construction of an additional pier for Terminal 5 in order to better accommodate larger aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 and address forecasts of rising passenger numbers. The plans were approved by the Environmental Court of Appeals in December 2014, and construction was scheduled to commence in the spring of 2015.

Development since 2020

In the spring of 2020, most flights were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SAS decided to fly only four domestic departures and four domestic arrivals from Arlanda, plus some international flights, after 6 April 2020 while Norwegian cancelled all flights from Arlanda except to Oslo. Terminal 2, 3 and 4 closed and terminal 5 handled all passengers during this period (March 2020 – October 2021) The passenger figures were 97.7% lower in April 2020 than in April 2019. The figured picked up later, but in early 2021 were still more than 80% less per month than 2019.

In the spring of 2022, passenger figures rose again to more normal levels. This caused capacity problems, especially in the security check, because most of its staff were fired due to the pandemic recession. Additionally followed with the time to find and get security approval for and educate new staff. Terminal 4 could not open because transfer between it and Terminal 5 required a security check, and the security check was congested already, so Terminal 5 became congested.^{[citation needed]} Swedavia built a new pedestrian tunnel between the two terminals, bypassing the security check area. It opened together with Terminal 4 at the end of June 2022.

In September 2024, Braathens Regional Airlines announced it would discontinue its regular flight services and relocate its operations from Bromma Airport to Stockholm Arlanda Airport, as a contract operator for SAS. This decision is expected to cause Bromma to lose around 90% of its traffic, potentially hastening its closure, and leaving Arlanda as Stockholm County's only public airport.^{[citation needed]}

In 2025, Terminal 4 was incorporated into Terminal 5, with its gates becoming part of Terminal 5. In September 2026, Terminal 3 was closed and its gate area began being incorporated into Terminal 2, reducing the number of passenger terminals from four to two.

Terminal 2

Gates 61–82

Terminal 2 (gates 61–82) was inaugurated on 12 December 1990, by Prince Bertil. Initially named Inrikes 2 ("Domestic 2"), it was designed for use by SAS as a domestic terminal, it features 8 aircraft parking stands with passenger bridges.

The terminal was constructed to facilitate short turnaround times, increased efficiency, and minimal walking distances for passengers. At its opening, it did not have security checks and was intended for passengers with hand luggage, allowing them to arrive just 10 minutes before departure. The design included double walk bridges suitable for MD-80 aircraft.^{[citation needed]}

In 1992, SAS moved its domestic operations out of Terminal 2 due to a decrease in passenger traffic on domestic routes. The terminal then began accommodating other airlines, including Transwede Airways, for both domestic and international flights.^{[citation needed]}

By the late 1990s, the terminal's capacity was insufficient to handle the growing passenger traffic. Significant updates were made in 2001 when Terminal 2 was reconfigured to handle exclusively international flights as part of preparations for Sweden's entry into the Schengen area. The terminal was adapted to meet new requirements, including the addition of security checks and a larger luggage claim area.^{[citation needed]}

In 2013, Terminal 2 underwent a major refurbishment that expanded it by 2,500 square meters. The renovation added new transit areas, shops, and restaurants, as well as a new floor level with additional amenities such as restaurants and a lounge. Terminal 2 also features an express station for high-speed trains, Arlanda South Station, shared with terminals 3 and 4, but with its own dedicated escalator. There are buses between Terminal 2 and Terminal 5 without need for further security check.^{[citation needed]}

• As of 29 May 2012^[update], Norwegian relocated its international flights from Terminal 2 to Terminal 5 moving Air France and Czech Airlines to Terminal 2.^{[citation needed]}
• In April 2013, British Airways and Finnair relocated to the newly renovated Terminal 2.
• Terminal 2 was closed due to COVID-19 between March 2020–October 2021. After reopening, Air France, Czech, Easyjet, KLM, Transavia and Vueling use Terminal 2.

Gates 51–59

The area comprising gates 51–59 is a pier which formerly operated as Terminal 3. Terminal 3 opened in 1990 to serve regional domestic aircraft and was designed to handle regional flights within Sweden.

The terminal featured a café and a boarding process where passengers walked outdoors from the gates and boarded aircraft using airstairs. Access to Terminal 3 was through Terminal 2, requiring a 200-metre walk.^{[citation needed]}

In early 2020, Terminal 3 was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2024, PopulAir, Jonair and Västflyg commenced operations from Terminal 3, marking its reopening.^{[citation needed]}

In 2026, the Terminal 3 security control was closed and construction began on a new corridor connecting the former Terminal 3 area with Terminal 2. The gate area is being incorporated into Terminal 2 and is planned to reopen as part of Terminal 2 at the end of 2026.

Terminal 5

Terminal 5 is the largest and oldest of Arlanda's current passenger terminals. The terminal was opened as Arlanda International in 1976 by King Carl XVI Gustaf. Built to handle both scheduled and charter international flights, Terminal 5 has since undergone several expansions.

In 1992, the terminal was renamed from Arlanda International to its current designation as Terminal 5, and in 1999 Arlanda North Station was opened, providing a direct rail link to Stockholm Central Station with the Arlanda Express. In 2003, Terminal 5 underwent a significant expansion that included the addition of a third pier. This expansion was part of a broader redevelopment of Arlanda Airport, which also saw the opening of Runway 3 and a new air traffic control tower. The expanded facilities were inaugurated on 17 December 2003, by Infrastructure Minister Ulrika Messing.

Since 2020, Terminal 5 at Stockholm Arlanda Airport has served both domestic and international flights. It functions as a hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and accommodates both Schengen and non-Schengen destinations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all traffic at Arlanda Airport was moved to Terminal 5 between March 2020 and October 2021.

Since 2022, Terminal 5 has been connected to the former Terminal 4 (gates C30–C44) via an airside walkway, allowing them to operate as a single terminal. Terminal 5 now manages arrivals, customs, and baggage reclaim for the C gates. A new security control facility equipped with CT scanners opened in early summer 2023. Expansion works included an new airside concourse and duty-free store. The 11,000-square-metre commercial area began opening in autumn 2023 and was completed in June 2025, with more than 40 new shops, cafés and restaurants.

Future plans for Terminal 5 include the addition of Pier G by 2040, which aims to increase the terminal's capacity to accommodate up to 40 million passengers annually, up from 25 million in 2019.

C gates

The C gates (C30–C44) were formerly operated as Terminal 4. The terminal was inaugurated in 1983 by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Initially named Inrikes 1 ("Domestic 1"), it was designed to handle domestic flights. The terminal took the form of a single pier and featured 14 aircraft parking stands with passenger bridges.^{[citation needed]}

In 1984, Linjeflyg and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) relocated all operations from Stockholm Bromma Airport to the new terminal at Arlanda to consolidate their domestic and international departures. Due to increasing passenger numbers, the terminal soon became too small. To address this, Inrikes 2 (now Terminal 2) was established in 1990 for SAS, which moved its domestic flights from Inrikes 1 to the new terminal.^{[citation needed]}

Due to the 1990–1994 Swedish financial crisis, SAS returned to Terminal 4 in 1992, and the two carriers once again shared the terminal. In the same year, Inrikes 1 was renamed Terminal 4. From 1999, Terminal 4 was served by Arlanda South Station, a station for the Arlanda Express, connecting the terminal with Stockholm Central Station and Arlanda North Station at Terminal 5. In 2006, Terminal 4 underwent a major renovation, the first significant update since its construction in 1983.^{[citation needed]}

The terminal closed in spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened in June 2022. During its closure, an airside walkway was constructed beneath Sky City, linking the Terminal 4 gate area with Terminal 5 and allowing the two areas to operate as a single terminal.

In October 2025, Swedavia closed the remaining passenger check-in, baggage handling and security control facilities in Terminal 4 and transferred these functions to Terminal 5. The C30–C44 gate area is now part of Terminal 5 and handles both domestic and international traffic. Passengers departing from the C gates check in and pass through security in Terminal 5 before proceeding to the gates via the connecting walkway.

Gate Area A

Gate Area A is a remote gate building with five gates. It was built in 2024 to provide additional gates while other aircraft parking areas are closed for renovation. Passengers departing from Gate Area A check in and pass through security at Terminal 5 before taking a shuttle bus from Gate F31.

Sky City

In addition to the terminals, the airport features a concourse area called Sky City, located between Terminals 4 and 5. This area includes shopping and restaurant facilities, along with Arlanda Central Station below it. Sky City is situated landside, outside the security check area, and serves both passengers and visitors. Sky City also offers hotels connected to the terminals, located outside the security and passport check areas.^{[citation needed]}

Runways

Arlanda has three runways: Runway 1 (01L/19R), Runway 2 (08/26) and Runway 3 (01R/19L). Runway 1 is 3,301 m (10,830 ft) long and can handle take-offs and landings of the heaviest aircraft in use today. Runways 2 and 3 are 2,500 m (8,202 ft) long. As indicated, runways 1 and 3 are parallel runways that can be operated independently of one another. Runways 1 and 3 are equipped with CAT III systems for instrument landings. The airport can handle simultaneous take offs and landings using runways 1 and 3 at the same time. Simultaneous aircraft takeoffs and landings can be performed in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Runway 3 (01R/19L) is reached from the main terminal area via taxiway bridges constructed to be able to handle the heaviest and largest aircraft in traffic, although its length practically limits this. Since runway 3 (01R/19L) is located at a distance from the terminals, a deicing area is placed close to the runway to avoid long waits between deicing and take off in winter conditions. Another deicing area is located in connection with the southern ramp area close to the take off positions at runway 01L. There are high speed taxiway exits from all runways, except runway 08, to enable aircraft to exit the runways quickly after landing. That increases runway capacity during rush hours. Use of parallel taxiways around the terminal area separates arriving and departing traffic. Arlanda can handle all aircraft types in service including the Airbus A380.^{[citation needed]}

Cargo facilities

Stockholm Arlanda has extensive cargo flight activity. There is a cargo area with cargo terminals and cargo transit facilities in the southern part of the airport area. The cargo area is labeled "Cargo City" with warehouses operated by Cargo Center, DHL, Swedish postal service (Posten) and Spirit Air Cargo. A large part of mail and express parcels from Sweden is handled through the facilities at the airport. SAS Cargo has its cargo operation east of the passenger terminals close to the SAS hangars.

Dedicated scheduled cargo flights are operated by Korean Air Cargo with Boeing 747 cargo aircraft, as well as Lufthansa Cargo and Turkish Airlines. DHL, FedEx and UPS operate express freight services at the airport. West Air Sweden and PopulAir operate shorter cargo sectors. A number of airlines operate ad hoc cargo flights with various equipment. Outsize cargo is frequently hauled with the Antonov An-124 and similar cargo planes. TNT had their operations at Arlanda but have since moved to Västerås Airport.^{[citation needed]}

Aircraft hangars and maintenance facilities

SAS Technical Services, TUI fly Nordic and Priority Aero Maintenance have large aircraft hangars and maintenance facilities at the airport. SAS Technical Services is headquartered at Arlanda and has hangar facilities suitable for widebody aircraft up to the size of Boeing 747-400s. The first part of the hangar complex was built to handle SAS' fleet of DC-8s. There are a number of positions on each side of the building initially built to handle the type. The hangar space are now used mostly for Boeing 737s and A320s. The Boeing 747 hangar was inaugurated at the time when Scandinavian Airlines received their first Boeing 747s in the early 1970s. It is large enough to handle a Boeing 747 and two 737 sized airplanes at the same time. The offices of SAS Technical Services are situated in connection with the hangars. In the early days of the airport these hangars provided heavy maintenance for members of the KSSU group, which included KLM, SAS, Swissair and UTA. A number of other airlines, such as Thai Airways International, also maintained their aircraft in those hangars. Now the main user is Scandinavian Airlines. TUI fly Nordic has a hangar able to handle their largest aircraft, the Boeing 787-9. Priority Aero Maintenance has its facilities in the eastern part of the airport. They provide heavy aircraft maintenance for a number of aircraft including MD-80, a common type to be overhauled by the company.^{[citation needed]}

There is also a hangar in the southern part of the airport, built by the former Swedish domestic airline Linjeflyg. It is used mainly by regional aircraft.^{[citation needed]}

Helicopter hangars and maintenance facilities are found at the very eastern part of the airport operated by Patria Helicopters.

Other facilities

Swedavia, the Swedish airport management company, has its head office in the airport control tower facility. The company Sollentuna Cabin Interiors has its head office in Hangar 4 at Arlanda.

Oxford Aviation Academy has a flight simulator centre for some of the most common airliners of today (like Boeing 737) at Arlanda. Arlanda has hangars and aircraft maintenance facilities operated by SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Priority Aero Maintenance. TUI fly Nordic based at the airport also has a large hangar for widebody jets. There is also a helicopter repair facility operated by Patria Helicopters. There are four hotels at the airport (Clarion Hotel Arlanda Airport, Radisson Blu Arlandia Hotel, Radisson Blu SkyCity Hotel and Rest and Fly); in addition there are several hotels nearby with transfer buses.

Passenger

Cargo

Traffic figures

Passenger traffic and landings statistics Stockholm Arlanda Airport

Year	Domestic	Change	International	Change	Total	Change	Landings	Change
2025	4,112,244	28,9%	20,182,033	3,2%	24,294,277	6.8%	98,665	6.1%
2024	3,190,996	10%	19,546,978	7%	22,737,974	4.2%	92,992	1.1%
2023	3,564,358	13.0%	18,254,222	19.5%	21,818,580	18.4%	92,013	11.2%
2022	3,154,113	87.5%	15,273,173	162.8%	18,427,286	145.9%	82,730	89.3%
2021	1,682,049	5.3%	5,812,716	17.7%	7,494,765	14.7%	43,710	5.1%
2020	1,597,235	67.1%	4,938,194	76.3%	6,535,429	74.5%	41,603	63.8%
2019	4,849,031	8.3%	20,793,592	3.5%	25,642,623	4.5%	114,801	4.4%
2018	5,289,246	3.4%	21,557,474	1.9%	26,846,720	0.8%	120,059	2.2%
2017	5,476,136	0.5%	21,165,898	9.0%	26,642,034	8.0%	122,697	6.0%
2016	5,277,686	7.0%	19,424,733	7.0%	24,702,419	4.0%	115,631	4.0%
2015	5,081,908	0.5%	18,060,628	4.2%	23,142,536	3.1%	112,987	0.3%
2014	5,105,571	4.3%	17,338,211	9.7%	22,443,782	8.5%	112,648	2.7%
2013	4,870,328	1.0%	15,811,068	7.0%	20,681,396	5.0%	109,837	5.0%
2012	4,802,546	1.4%	14,839,483	3.5%	19,642,029	3.0%	104,930	1.4%
2011	4,737,758	17.9%	14,334,961	10.8%	19,072,719	12.4%	106,428	11.5%
2010	4,019,292	1.8%	12,943,124	6.8%	16,962,416	5.6%	95,434	0.9%
2009	3,949,253	18.7%	12,114,747	8.8%	16,064,000	11.4%	96,279	13.9%
2008	4,854,810	3.8%	13,281,295	3.2%	18,136,105	1.2%	111,450	2.0%
2007	5,048,736	5.3%	12,863,722	5.4%	17,912,458	2.1%	109,275	3.8%
2006	5,331,916	7.2%	12,207,474	7.5%	17,539,390	2.6%	113,565	3.0%
2005	5,744,667	3.3%	11,356,811	6.2%	17,101,478	5.2%	117,095	4.6%
2004	5,559,801	3.2%	10,694,071	10.0%	16,253,872	7.5%	122,680	6.0%
2003	5,388,364	10.6%	9,725,141	6.5%	15,113,505	8.0%	115,762	5.8%
2002	6,029,712	9.9%	10,401,495	8.8%	16,431,207	9.2%	122,852	11.1%
2001	6,695,340	1.0%	11,401,250	0.9%	18,096,590	0.9%	138,244	1.0%
2000	6,760,127	5.2%	11,503,799	7.5%	18,263,926	6.6%	139,705	1.2%
1999	6,423,639	5.1%	10,704,910	6.7%	17,128,549	6.1%	138,081	3.2%
1998	6,111,993	6.6%	10,035,978	8.8%	16,147,971	8.0%	133,861	3.8%
1997	5,731,403	2.5%	9,221,675	10.6%	14,953,078	7.3%	128,985	8.2%
1996	5,590,446		8,341,427		13,931,873		119,261

Busiest European routes to and from Stockholm Arlanda Airport (2024)

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	% change 2023/24
1	London	1,347,470	1.2
2	Copenhagen	1,288,303	9.1
3	Oslo	1,100,208	1.0
4	Helsinki	1,040,893	1.8
5	Amsterdam	894,029	14.9
6	Paris	659,278	1.0
7	Málaga	578,521	9.4
8	Frankfurt	520,620	1.3
9	Munich	517,457	13.0
10	Istanbul	507,538	9.2
11	Vienna	445,013	8.8
12	Alicante	414,155	8.3
13	Brussels	366,013	56.3
14	Zurich	363,800	5.9
15	Gdańsk	345,024	52.7
16	Palma de Mallorca	328,256	15.8
17	Barcelona	326,142	4.7
18	Riga	323,620	24.3
19	Tallinn	321,731	36.7
20	Berlin	317,990	6.9

Busiest intercontinental routes to and from Stockholm Arlanda Airport (2024)

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	% change 2023/24
1	New York	256,594	3.7
2	Dubai	222,257	3.4
3	Doha	213,149	5.9
4	Bangkok	191,277	3.6
5	Beijing	141,020	136.6

Busiest domestic routes to and from Stockholm Arlanda Airport (2024)

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	% change 2023/24
1	Luleå	901,328	4.5
2	Umeå	551,688	2.8
3	Gothenburg	395,571	22.1
4	Skellefteå	282,033	9.0
5	Malmö	224,556	30.6
6	Kiruna	216,363	1.3
7	Östersund	199,778	9.2
8	Visby	83,753	4.5
9	Ängelholm	81,737	14.4
10	Ronneby	42,582	24.4

Rail

Arlanda Airport is connected to Sweden's rail network via the Arlanda Line, a railway that connects Stockholm Arlanda Airport to the East Coast Line. This line opened in 1999 and runs in a tunnel beneath the airport, with three separate stations: Arlanda South, Arlanda North, and Arlanda Central. The line is not owned by Swedavia, and is privately operated by A-Train AB, the owner of the Arlanda Express.

Arlanda Express

v t e Arlanda Airport rail services
Legend
Uppsala Central Knivsta Arlanda North Arlanda Central Arlanda South Märsta Rosersberg Upplands Väsby Rotebro Norrviken Häggvik Sollentuna Helenelund Ulriksdal Solna Mälaren Line Stockholm Odenplan Stockholm Central Stockholm City
Key
Stockholm commuter rail SJ & Mälartåg Arlanda Express

The Arlanda Express is the primary express train service between central Stockholm and Arlanda Airport. It runs non-stop between Stockholm Central Station and Arlanda South and North stations. For the Arlanda Express, Arlanda South Station serves Terminals 2, 3, and 4; and Arlanda North Station serves Terminal 5.

Bus

Road

The E4 motorway passes by Arlanda Airport, connecting it to central Stockholm, Uppsala, and northern Sweden. The airport offers near-terminal, short-term, and long-term parking options. Rental car facilities are also available at Arlanda.^{[citation needed]}

Taxi

Taxis at Arlanda Airport are regulated by Swedavia, the airport operator. Only approved taxi companies with agreements are permitted to operate from designated areas outside Terminals 2 and 5. Non-approved taxis operate from elsewhere around the airport .