Copenhagen politicians decide on Monday, October 5, 2026, whether Nordic Seaplanes keeps the environmental approval it needs to land in the city’s harbor.
The Climate, Environment and Technical Affairs Committee in Copenhagen Municipality meets at 15:00 to discuss the seaplane’s future. DR reports that the municipal administration has recommended against extending the approval, and that a majority on the committee is prepared to scrap it.
The red and white seaplane operated by Nordic Seaplanes has linked central Aarhus and central Copenhagen for ten years. The crossing takes around 45 minutes, and passengers land in the harbor with a view of the Little Mermaid and Amalienborg.
What the administration recommends, and what the company says
According to TV 2, officials have advised against a permanent environmental approval and against extending the current temporary one. TV 2 reports that the recommendation is tied to the municipal plan, along with noise and pollution concerns.
The current approval runs out on January 1, 2027, as reported by TV 2. If the committee follows the administration, the company risks losing permission to land in the capital after the turn of the year.
Lasse Rungholm, pilot and director at Nordic Seaplanes, told DR that the company will try to find a solution. If that fails, he said, it will most likely have to close down.
Karoline Lindgaard, political leader for Alternativet in Copenhagen, said the service does not belong in a major city’s harbor. As she told DR, Copenhagen already has an airport very close by, so travel does not need to happen by fossil-fueled aircraft in the middle of the harbor.
Rungholm explained to DR why moving the landing site is difficult. The aircraft needs to sit inside the harbor, sheltered from large ships passing along the quay and from waves, which rules out a position out in the Øresund. He added that passengers are in a hurry and want to land centrally.
Earlier in 2026, the company looked into alternative mooring options together with Copenhagen’s harbor authority. According to Rungholm, no workable alternative was found.
Passenger numbers and ticket prices
DR reports that just over 13,000 passengers flew across Denmark with the seaplane in 2025. A one-way ticket costs between 699 and 2,200 kroner, depending on the booking.
The decision on Monday concerns the environmental approval for operations in the harbor, not the airline’s aviation license. DR’s reporting states that the committee discussion is what puts the route’s future at stake.
What the vote means for internationals traveling between Aarhus and Copenhagen
An environmental approval, or miljøgodkendelse, is a permit issued by the municipality for activities that cause noise, emissions or other environmental impact. In this case the permit is held by Nordic Seaplanes for its operation at the harbor in Copenhagen, and it is Copenhagen Municipality, not the state, that decides. For foreign residents who commute between the two cities, that means a local council committee, not a national aviation authority, controls whether the route continues.
If the approval is not extended, DR reports that the company risks losing its landing permission after January 1, 2027. The remaining options for the journey between Copenhagen and Aarhus are the train, domestic flights through Copenhagen Airport, the car, and the Molslinjen ferry via Zealand. What the committee decides on October 5, 2026, and whether any alternative site or arrangement is found, is not yet known.
