Bodø Main Air Station, Military air base and heritage site in Bodø Municipality, Norway.
Bodø Main Air Station is a military and civilian airport in northern Norway that handles both fighter operations and regular passenger flights. The facility features a wide concrete runway, a civilian terminal with multiple gates, and dedicated areas for military aircraft maintenance and training.
British forces built the original wooden runway in 1940, which the German occupation forces replaced with concrete during the war years. After 1945, the base became a key NATO facility supporting Norway's air defense operations throughout the Cold War period.
The site played a significant role in Northern Europe's aviation development and attracted enthusiasts interested in aircraft technology. Today, the base remains an active training hub where military pilots regularly operate modern fighters, making it a living center of air operations.
The base is easily accessible from the city of Bodø and offers travelers a modern terminal for departures and arrivals in northern Norway. Visitors interested in aviation can visit the nearby aviation museum, which complements the experience with displays of historical aircraft.
The base was selected in 1975 to test the Concorde supersonic aircraft in Arctic conditions, checking how it performed in extreme cold. This test helped engineers understand how advanced aircraft respond to the harshest environmental conditions in far northern regions.
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