29.6.2010
Photo exhibition: Copenhagen Airport in a different  scenario

 During the summer months, Copenhagen Airport will be showing a unique exhibition of photos taken at the airport during the days when the Icelandic ash cloud paralysed air transport. Under these special circumstances, Copenhagen Airport entered into a creative collaboration with Ulrik Jantzen, one of the leading photographers in Denmark.

A sky without a single aircraft. A deserted departure hall. An airport that looks like it is asleep.
An unusual scenario in an otherwise busy airport. And still, it was very real during those six days when Copenhagen Airport was paralysed by the Icelandic ash cloud.

Paul is alone at the airport
Press and fashion photographer Ulrik Jantzen of Das Buro saw an opportunity of shooting photos at Copenhagen Airport in this different scenario. This resulted in an interesting series of photos of the airport without passengers, staff and aircraft in the air.

“I was scheduled to travel to Thailand on a reporting trip when the ash cloud paralysed all air traffic out of Copenhagen Airport. That gave me an opportunity to shoot a different kind of photos with a more artistic approach. There was not a soul in sight. It struck me that, most of all, the situation reminded me of the Danish children’s book “Paul is alone in the world” – the atmosphere was so quiet and queer,” said Ulrik Jantzen, who is one the photographers most often used by Copenhagen Airport.

Roaring silence
“During the days of the ash cloud, there was a roaring silence which was in sharp contrast to the normally busy atmosphere at the airport. The volcanic eruption was a real force majeure situation with had great consequences to our passengers, business partners and the airport itself. We took the opportunity to make the best of the situation and the photos are the positive and artistic results of this venture,” said Brian Petersen, CEO of Copenhagen Airports A/S and continued:  

“The photos are very interesting and very special as we have never experienced anything like it, and Ulrik Jantzen has caught some rare angles. We would like to share his photos with our passengers. It is very important to CPH to add exciting features to passengers’ travel experience.”

Not a single aircraft in the air
“The airport was deserted, which gave me a unique opportunity to get out on the runways, which are not normally open for access without special permission. It was a strange feeling, and the security employee who accompanied me often looked up at the sky. It was quite obvious that he is used to aircraft landing every few minutes. But that was not the case on that day. Which was very fortunate, because taking the photos was a great experience.”

You can see the photo exhibition from Tuesday, 29 June. The photos are exhibited in the connecting pier between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 (airside) and in the skywalk between the Hilton Copenhagen Airport and Terminal 3 (landside).  

     Facts:

  • Overall, about 3,500 take-offs and landings were cancelled at Copenhagen airport during the six days the airport was closed.

  • About 350,000 passengers were directly affected by the closure of Copenhagen Airport due to the ash cloud.

  • The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates, that the airlines lost approximately USD 400 million of revenue per day when the ash cloud was at its worst.

About Ulrik Jantzen:
Ulrik Jantzen (born 1976) graduated as a photographer from the Danish School of Journalism in 2003. In addition to working as a creative photographer, supplying photos to Danish and international magazines from Time Magazine and COVER to Euroman and Ud & Se (a magazine published by the Danish railways), Ulrik Jantzen has also supplied photos to major advertising campaigns for companies such as Le Klint, Hummel, Danish State Railways (DSB), Coloplast and handled communications jobs for A.P. Møller-Mærsk, NOVO, Danske Bank, Copenhagen Airports A/S and many others ... Ulrik Jantzen owns DASK gallery, which has been rated the best art experience in Copenhagen. Ulrik Jantzen has won several prizes, including press photo of the year in Denmark.