CPH route to Dutch city of Groningen now open

Going forward, it will be much easier to get from Copenhagen to the north of the Netherlands after the opening on Monday of a new direct air route between Copenhagen and Groningen. The route will be operated by Estonian airline Nordica in cooperation with Adria Airways.

The opening of the new route was marked by a ceremony at Copenhagen Airport’s Gate B6, where the Dutch ambassador to Denmark, Henk Swarttouw, gave a speech to passengers and specially invited guests.

Following the ceremony, the passengers boarded the 49-seat Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft for the first 474-kilometre flight to Groningen. Going forward, the aircraft will make the trip twice daily on weekdays and 11 times a week in total.

Visit the world via CPH
Peter Krogsgaard, Copenhagen Airport’s chief commercial officer, is delighted about the new route:

“The route connects northern Netherlands with Copenhagen and makes it easy for Dutch travellers to get out into the world via CPH on one of our 30 plus direct long-haul routes. We have many of the  feeder routes that fly passengers in from across northern Europe to CPH in order to fly on all over the world, and now northern Netherlands is also directly connected,” says Peter Krogsgaard.

Nordica is operating the route in cooperation with Adria Airways, a member of Star Alliance, and at CPH passengers can easily transfer to the long-haul routes of SAS and others.

University city with a long history
Groningen is one of the Netherlands’ oldest cities, with a history stretching back nearly 2,000 years and a very active study environment around the two universities.

“There probably aren’t that many Danes who’ve been to Groningen and northern Netherlands as tourists, but we know from experience that new direct routes lead to increased traffic in both directions. Groningen offers a lot of interesting experiences and an exciting history, and that’s something that’s really important for many Danish tourists when they plan a holiday,” says Peter Krogsgaard.

FACTS ABOUT GRONINGEN

• The history of Groningen dates all the way back to the year 200, when the first settlements were established. The city’s golden age was in the 15th century, when it became a powerful and affluent commercial centre.
• The University of Groningen was founded in 1614. Today, the city boasts two universities with 53,000 students. Many foreign students, including from Denmark, choose to study in Groningen for a semester or two.
• The old part of the city was ravaged by fierce battles during World War II. In April 1945, notably the area around the Grote Markt market square was destroyed. Parts of the area have been rebuilt, however, and the city today presents itself as a fine blend of old and new.
• The most famous modern-day son of the city is the football star Arjen Robben.