In partnership with Sønderborg Municipality, Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation has founded "Forberedelsesselskabet af 1. januar 2020 A/S" (The Preparation Company of 1st January 2020 A/S), which has won the tender for Sønderborg Airport. Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation has thereby, via the subsidiary B&MC Holding, become co-owner of the airport in Sønderborg.
New Joint Venture
Forberedelsesselskabet af 1. januar 2020 A/S 2020 has two shareholders: B&MC Holding, the subsidiary company of Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation, holds 50.1 percent of the shares in the company. Sønderborg Municipality holds the remaining 49,9 percent of the shares. The aim of the Forberedelsesselskabet af 1. januar 2020 A/S is to bid on the sale of Sønderborg Airport.
The sale is a result of a bidding round Sønderborg Municipality has carried out to ensure that the operation and ownership of the airport in the future will not be tied to the local authority.
Per Have, Director of Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation, talks about the decision to take part in ensuring the future of Sønderborg Airport:
A well-developed transport infrastructure to and from Sønderborg is crucial for global companies, such as Danfoss, in our area. For this reason, we have chosen to get involved with the airport. Currently, nobody knows what air traffic will look like after Covid-19. However, with our commitment to the airport and with the cooperation of Sønderborg Municipality, we are providing stability for the future operation. We also guarantee that there will be air traffic to and from Sønderborg in the years to come.
Per Have, Director of Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation
The sale price for Sønderborg Airport was just one Danish kroner. The token price is due to the fact that, in addition to purchasing the land, the buildings, the vehicles and staff, one also commits to operate the airport with its scheduled traffic. Currently, the airport is a loss-making business. The expected deficit in 2020 is projected to be around DKK 8 million.
Expansion put on hold
Due to the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 and its influence on future travel trends, it has been decided that the current owners will maintain the existing operation for the next couple of years. This means that the planned expansion of Sønderborg Airport, new areas, access road, and a modern terminal building has been put on hold.
Erik Lauritzen, Mayor of Sønderborg Municipality, is looking forward to the new collaboration:
We are really pleased that Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation wants to enter into a collaboration about owning and driving Sønderborg airport forward. (…). The Foundation is thus taking a very big commitment in ensuring that there, in the future, will be an airport with air traffic to and from Sønderborg. We believe that there is a future for Sønderborg Airport. It is still the Council’s ambition to enlarge the airport in order to serve the scheduled traffic and charter flights.
Erik Lauritzen, Mayor of Sønderborg Municipality
The change of management of Sønderborg Airport is taking place with the proviso that the Danish Traffic-, Building- and Housing Agency will give the new owners permission to operate the airport. The process is expected to take two to three months. Once the Agency has given its permission, the ‘Forberedelsesselskabet’ will change its name to ‘Sønderborg Airport A/S’.
