Copenhagen seaplane permit proposal sent to city council

A Copenhagen committee has proposed temporarily extending the seaplane’s environmental permit until mid-2027 while its operator looks for a new harbour location, but the proposal will now go to the city council for review, DR reported.

The route between Copenhagen and Aarhus has operated for 10 years. The Climate, Environment and Technology Committee voted for the proposal, which would deny the seaplane a permanent permit at Nordre Toldbod and require a new location to be found by the end of the first half of 2027.

Alternativet member Karoline Lindgaard used her right to halt the committee’s decision, sending the proposal to Copenhagen’s City Council for further discussion. She called it “a huge green betrayal,” saying Social Democrats and the Socialist People’s Party were supporting fossil-fuel luxury transport at residents’ expense.

Committee member Niels E. Bjerrum of the Social Democrats said his party also opposed a permanent seaplane operation at Nordre Toldbod. He said the temporary extension would give Nordic Seaplanes time to find another location and consider switching to electric aircraft.

Socialist People’s Party member Mads Hvid said his party wanted to help the company find a new location and supported its ambition to transition to electric planes. He disagreed that the proposal represented a green betrayal.

Nordic Seaplanes director Lasse Rungholm welcomed the proposal, saying the company was willing to work with the city administration to explore other locations.

The current environmental permit expires on January 1, 2027. The city council is due to consider the proposal on November 5. A one-way seaplane ticket currently costs between 699 and 2,200 kroner.