Tromsø Airport, Langnes, is the main way into Arctic Norway for most visitors. It handles everything from short Widerøe hops to Finnmark to winter flights packed with people hoping to see the northern lights.
The good news is that it is a small, easy airport. It sits on the same island as the city, and you can usually be in the centre within 20 minutes of walking out of arrivals.
This guide covers the practical side: where the airport is, how to get into town, who flies there, and which passport checks to expect on certain routes.
Where Tromsø Airport is
The airport sits at Langnes, on the western shore of Tromsøya, the island that holds most of Tromsø. The city centre is roughly 5 km away, on the eastern side of the same island.
Its codes are TOS (IATA) and ENTC (ICAO). You will see TOS on your boarding pass and on the live flight board, and Norwegians often just call it Langnes.
The airport opened in 1964 and is run by Avinor, the state-owned company that operates most Norwegian airports. It has a single runway and one terminal building, so there is no risk of turning up at the wrong terminal.
Is there only one airport in Tromsø?
Yes. If you are flying to Tromsø, you are flying to Langnes. There is no second commercial airport on the island or on the mainland nearby.
People who search for the closest airport to Tromsø are usually comparing prices or looking at a backup when flights are full. The two realistic alternatives are both a long way off:
- Bardufoss (BDU): an inland airport about 140 km by road from Tromsø, with a limited domestic schedule. Count on roughly two hours of driving.
- Harstad/Narvik Evenes (EVE): a busier airport further south, but several hours away by road.
For almost everyone, flying straight into TOS is the sensible choice. A cheaper fare into another airport rarely makes up for the long drive, especially in winter darkness and snow.
Getting from Tromsø Airport to the city centre
This is the easy part of the trip. You have three good options, and all of them leave from right outside the terminal.
Airport Express bus
The red Airport Express bus, often still called Flybussen, waits outside the arrivals area and runs to the main hotels in the centre. The ride takes about 20 minutes.
Stops include Polaria, Storgata, the Prostneset bus terminal and several of the big waterfront hotels, so most visitors can walk to their accommodation from one of them.
At the time of writing, an adult one-way ticket costs NOK 125 and a return NOK 200, with lower fares for children, students and seniors. You can buy online or pay by card on board. Cash is not accepted, and tickets for this bus are not sold in the Svipper app.
City buses
The public buses in Tromsø run under the Svipper name. Routes 40 and 42 stop at the airport and head into the centre in roughly 15 to 20 minutes. Routes 24 and 26 also call at the airport.
An adult ticket costs around NOK 50, which makes this the cheapest way into town. Buy in the Svipper app, or tap a Visa or Mastercard on board. As on the airport bus, there is no cash option.
Luggage space on city buses is limited. With one suitcase you will be fine; with skis or a family’s worth of bags, the airport bus or a taxi is less stressful.
Taxi
The taxi rank is to the left as you leave the arrivals hall, and the drive into the centre takes about ten minutes. Kiosks by the exit let you book a taxi and see the price before you confirm.
Prices vary between companies, so it is worth comparing on the kiosk screen. For a group of three or four sharing a car, a taxi can cost less per head than separate bus tickets.
Renting a car and parking
If you plan to drive out to Kvaløya, Lyngen or Senja, picking up a hire car at the airport saves a trip back. Avinor lists Avis, Sixt, Europcar, Hertz, Budget and Enterprise at Tromsø Airport.
Book well ahead for the winter season, when demand for cars is high. Make sure the car comes with proper winter tyres and ask how the toll and ferry charges are billed.
For drivers leaving their own car, Avinor runs the car parks at the airport. You can book parking on Avinor’s website before you travel, which is usually the best way to secure a space and check the current price.
Who flies to Tromsø
The backbone of the schedule is domestic. SAS and Norwegian fly between Oslo and Tromsø throughout the day, and the flight takes a little under two hours.
Tromsø is also the main base for Widerøe’s regional network in the far north. Its small planes connect the city with towns across Finnmark and northern Norway, which makes TOS a common place to change on the way to Alta, Hammerfest or Kirkenes.
Avinor lists 17 airlines at the airport. In winter, seasonal routes from the UK and continental Europe bring in aurora travellers, and names such as British Airways, easyJet, Air France and Eurowings appear on that list.
Schedules change between seasons, so check the live arrivals and departures for TOS before you book a tight onward plan. If you are mixing carriers inside Norway, our guide to SAS, Norwegian and Widerøe explains who covers which routes.
Passport checks: Svalbard and the UK
Most flights from Tromsø are inside the Schengen area, so there is no passport control. You still need valid photo ID to fly, as everywhere in Norway.
Two kinds of flights work differently. Flights to the UK leave from the non-Schengen part of the terminal, so you pass passport control on the way out and on the way in.
Flights to Longyearbyen on Svalbard also involve a passport check. Svalbard is part of Norway but sits outside the Schengen area, so bring your passport or national ID card even though it feels like a domestic trip. Our Svalbard flights guide covers the details.
Inside the terminal
The terminal is compact, and you rarely walk far between check-in, security and the gates. Expect a handful of cafés, a kiosk and shops rather than a big shopping mall.
There is a tax-free shop for international travellers. Avinor’s Click and Collect service lets you pre-order some items, which can save time on a busy evening.
Security queues are usually short, but they build up when several departures cluster together in the early morning. On a winter Saturday, with charter and seasonal flights leaving, give yourself more slack than you would on a quiet weekday.
How early to arrive for a flight from Tromsø
For a domestic flight with only cabin bags, around an hour before departure is usually enough. Add time if you need to drop a suitcase, and more again for flights to the UK, where passport control adds a step.
Our guide on how early to get to the airport in Norway has the general rules of thumb.
Remember that most travellers reach the airport by bus. Check that the timetable gets you there in good time, especially for very early flights, or book a taxi the evening before.
Winter flying at Langnes
Tromsø handles snow and darkness every year, and the airport is well practised at clearing runways and de-icing aircraft. Even so, strong wind and low visibility can cause delays and, now and then, diversions.
If your trip is built around a northern lights tour on the night you land, leave room for things to slip. Our piece on Tromsø flights in winter goes into buffers and timing in more depth.
Dress for the short walk to the bus or taxi rank. Even a few minutes outside in the wind can feel bitter, so keep a warm layer, gloves and a hat in your cabin bag rather than in the hold.
Quick checklist for Tromsø Airport
- One airport, one terminal: Langnes, code TOS.
- Airport Express bus to the centre in about 20 minutes, card or online only.
- City buses 40 and 42 are the cheapest option, paid in the Svipper app or by card.
- Taxis take about ten minutes; compare prices on the kiosk screens.
- Bring a passport or national ID card for Svalbard and UK flights.
- Check the live board before you leave, especially in winter.
With those basics sorted, Tromsø Airport is one of the easiest places in Norway to arrive. The hard part is usually deciding what to do first once you are in town.
