Vágar Airport on the Faroe Islands deserves a post of its own and represents a charming airport that may not have a lounge, but is still worth arriving early for…or showing up at the last-minute and getting away with it.
Vágar Airport – Faroe Islands
In one sense, Vágar Airport is not much different than many small airports around the world. Even so, there is something special about the only airport on the Faroe Islands and it is not the type of airport that you will dread waiting for your flight at if you show up early.
Originally built by the British Royal Air Force during World War II, this airport is on the island of Vágar and until 2002 required a ferry to get to the capital city of or other parts of the Faroe Islands. But a tunnel called Vágatunnilin now conveniently links the airport with other parts of the island.
We showed up about 90 minutes before our flight to Copenhagen, just in case we ran into any complications returning our rental vehicle. But that process was simple: we simply parked the car and dropped the keys in the drop box. Again, there was no human interaction.
Inside, all three airlines that service FAE (Atlantic Airways, SAS, Widerøe) share a single check-in desk. Check-in opens one hour before the flight and closes 30 minutes prior to departure so do not arrive too early…
There’s even a ticket office for Atlantic Airways…
There’s a coffee shop next to the check-in counter. I had consumed enough coffee for the day, but had I known there would be such a nice set-up with a La Marzocco machine, I would have skipped a second cup at Paname Café.
Security was a breeze…we could have shown up 20 minutes prior to departure and made it easily onboard.
Past security, there is a fairly large-sized duty free shop as well as a cafeteria. The cafeteria included a wide assortment of beverages and food and the dining area was festooned with circular lights and glass birds.
Power ports were plentiful.
There was an even a play area for children:
I watched our SAS aircraft as it landed:
No passport control to go to Copenhagen, though I’d love to get a Faroe Islands stamp if I try the new Atlantic Airways New York service this summer.
In short, this is a superb airport.
I really enjoyed your Faroe Islands series! Thanks for posting.
Also agree with Steve, one of the best series you’ve done, Matthew. The tourism board there should send you a world of thanks…I think you just got 10K people looking up flights this summer and fall.
Agree with S&S. A+
I think you have a typo: Vágatunnilin opened in 2002, rather than 2022.
Váasrtunnilin was opened 2002. Not 2022.
I said 2002.
You can apparently get a passport stamp even without coming in on a flight that requires immigration/customs. I flew in from Iceland and also didn’t have to go through immigration, which I was disappointed to miss the stamp.
However, was later told that I could go to the police station on site and someone there could stamp my passport. So, on the day of my departure, I arrived a few minutes early to walk next door and try it out. Sadly, there was no one there yet who could do it as no arriving flights needed passport control that morning. I was quite sad to miss out – I should have dropped in earlier in the week when I drove by the airport.
Thanks for this information, which I found by looking to see whether immigration formalities apply to a KEF-FAE flight. I’m trying to estimate the odds of making the 14:25 bus toward Tórshavn after arriving on a flight due in at 14:10, if the flight is on time. I’ll be near the front of the plane and not collecting luggage. The flight is from KEF but I’m originating at JFK, on a separate ticket. So perhaps I’ll go through immigration at KEF and not need to at FAE.
It seems like a pretty small airport; was getting out of it quick? It’s too bad you didn’t get the passport stamp after all that effort; it would be a cool one to have!
I think they will wait for you. Seems to me one of those place.
But I think you’re making a huge mistake by not renting a car.
Thanks. I’m walking the perimeter of Eysturoy island (part of a project to walk 26 islands; this is “E”) so I do not need a car!
Good for you! Enjoy.
Does that picture of an SAS screen say check-in opens 1:30 before departure, not just 1:00?