What’s On The Horizon For: Vagar Airport 

Vagar Airport (FAE) in the Faroe Islands plans to meet passenger demand with a major expansion of its terminal expected to start construction in 2027. With a current capacity of up to 400,000 passengers, the investment will see the number rise to more than 1 million.  

Having welcomed more than 460,000 passengers through FAE in 2025—a 3.8% increase on the previous year—the expansion comes at a critical time to support the Faroe Islands airport’s growth strategy. With completion due in 2030, the airport met with multiple airlines during Routes Europe 2026 in Rimini, Italy, to gauge further interest in the destination.  

Demand continues to grow as, following a successful launch in summer 2024, Icelandair announced the expansion of its Keflavik route to include a year-round service starting this winter. The service opens a customer base spanning across North America and Europe with Icelandair’s extensive connecting network.   

Atlantic Airways, the national carrier, has resumed its seasonal Paris Charles de Gaulle service in April which will now operate up to 3X-weekly, while Widerøe increased frequency on its Bergen route to 2X-weekly this summer. 

Speaking at Routes Europe 2026, FAE CEO Regin Jakobsen outlined the airport’s key target markets for expansion: “Our focus is on boarding new carriers to serve destinations across Europe such as Germany, Italy and Poland, of which there are currently no direct flights.” 

The Faroe Islands has experienced an impressive growth in visitors over the past decade, brought on by innovative destination marketing, increased airport capabilities, growing tourism infrastructure, and a travel trend towards unique and authentic destinations. The unique cluster of 18 isles has gained recent recognition from travel publications such as National Geographic, BBC, Lonely Planet, and Forbes. 

The event in Rimini allowed FAE to boost promotion of its opportunities and destination to potential airline partners. Jakobsen added: “Routes allows us to both maintain the contacts we already have and, of course, establish news ones. The meetings we’ve had have been positive. We feel a genuine interest in the Faroe Islands as a destination.” 

Working closely with its tourism partner, Visit Faroe Islands, FAE is promoting its network potential through its Routes 360 membership.