Spitzbergen | Spitsbergen

The subject of Russian helicopter traffic is again surfacing as a matter of controversy between Russians and Norwegian authorities. Within their intentions of increasing tourist activities in Barentsburg and Pyramiden, where the hotel is soon to be opened again, the Russians want to offer helicopter transport from Longyearbyen to their settlements on a commercial basis (flightseeing is generally not allowed in Spitsbergen).

They refer to the non-discrimination principle of the Spitsbergen-Treaty (often called Svalbard Treaty, but the original text does not know the term Svalbard), which gives all signatory countries and their citizens equal rights. Norwegian authorities point out that Norwegian aviation laws to only allow Norwegian companies to offer commercial aviation services within Norway. In the end, it boils down to the question if Norwegian national law is to be rated higher than the international treaty which was signed in 1920 and came into power in 1925, which gives Norway »the full and absolute sovereignty of Norway over the Archipelago of Spitsbergen…«, no less, no more. Later in the same year a national Norwegian law declared that »Svalbard is part of the Kingdom of Norway«.