Midtjylland’s Karup Airport Reopens Under Billionaire Ownership After Near-Collapse
The struggling Midtjylland Karup Airport, once on the brink of permanent closure, reopens today under new ownership by Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen and his investment firm Heartland, reports DR. The regional airport—previously owned by nine local municipalities—has faced repeated financial crises, shifting operators, and plummeting passenger numbers over its 61-year history.
A Turbulent Six Decades
The airport’s origins trace back to World War II, when German forces seized 40 local farms to build Fliegerhorst Grove, a military airbase near the village of Grove. After the war, Denmark’s defense forces took control, renaming it Flyvestation Karup. Following years of lobbying by local politicians, the site opened as a civilian airport—Karup Lufthavn—on November 1, 1965, with a single daily SAS flight to Copenhagen carrying just 15 passengers.
Ownership initially rested with Viborg and Ringkøbing counties alongside ten surrounding municipalities, including Herning, Holstebro, and Skive.
Boom and Bust Cycles
The airport’s peak arrived in 2010, when low-cost carriers Norwegian and Cimber Sterling drove passenger numbers to a record 300,000—double the previous year’s total—making it Denmark’s third-busiest domestic route after Copenhagen-Aarhus. But the boom collapsed in 2012 when Cimber Sterling filed for bankruptcy, followed by Norwegian’s exit in 2015.
Regional carrier Danish Air Transport (DAT) briefly revived operations, flying the route until 2022 with intermittent pandemic-related suspensions. A Dutch operator, AIS, later took over but failed to stem declining demand. By 2023, annual passengers had dwindled to 11,000; in 2024, that number halved to 4,700. The final scheduled flight departed in summer 2025.
Government Lifeline and Private Takeover
Facing closure, the airport received a two-year, 4.2 million DKK annual subsidy from the Danish government in 2023. Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen (Venstre) called the rescue “crucial for the region,” but the aid proved insufficient. In 2025, as the last flights operated, Heartland and Povlsen acquired the airport from its municipal owners.
Ulrik Wilbek (Venstre), then-mayor of Viborg and chair of the airport’s board, stated: “We’re pleased Heartland will keep the airport in Danish hands and commit to maintaining domestic flights while exploring its development potential.” The facility reopens today as Midtjylland Karup Lufthavn, with its first scheduled flight in nearly a year.