What’s On The Horizon For: Vagar Airport – Faroe Islands

The CEO of Vágar Airport highlighted the Faroe Islands’ growing tourism appeal and outlined air connectivity goals during a presentation at Routes Europe 2025.

Vágar Airport (FAE) is the international airport serving the Faroe Islands, an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean.

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.

Since it’s runway extension in 2011, FAE has enjoyed new routes, increasing charter operations from mainland Europe, and a surge in passenger numbers. In 2024, FAE handled more than 440,000 passengers—up 4% year over year—despite the Faroe Islands having a population of just 54,000.

Atlantic Airways, the national carrier, accounts for approximately 80% of all traffic at FAE, operating year-round routes to Oslo, Keflavik and Billund. The airline continues to invest in network development and recently announced the return of several seasonal services for 2025, including Paris Charles de Gaulle in April, London Gatwick in May, and Barcelona and Mallorca from June, and Tenerife from October.

Norwegian regional airline Widerøe has also boosted its Bergen route with additional frequencies during the summer 2025 schedule.

Speaking at the Routes Europe conference in Seville, FAE CEO Regin Jakobsen emphasized the need to balance growth with sustainability. “Mainly it’s the Nordic region, United Kingdom, Germany and our nearest neighbors in the Netherlands and France,” Jakobsen said, outlining the airport’s key target markets.

Since opening a modern terminal in 2014, FAE has enhanced operational efficiency and the passenger experience. Working closely with its tourism partner, Visit Faroe Islands, FAE is promoting its network potential through its Routes 360 membership.