Millions for Andøya spaceport

The Nordland / Lofoten news from the past 48 hours: the government is considering spending large sums on the Andøya spaceport, according to NRK. Nordland county extends its reduced fares on buses and express boats, while the salmon industry fears a new rise in the price of fish feed.

Nordland news: the state wants to fund rocket launches from Andøya

According to information gathered by NRK Nordland / Lofoten, the government is proposing to invest several million kroner in the expansion of the Andøya spaceport, in Nordland county. The public broadcaster says the need to be able to launch rockets from Europe is described as huge.

Andøya, located in Andøy municipality in Nordland, is the site concerned by this announcement. NRK points out that this is information it has been able to verify, not a formally presented decision. Neither the exact amount nor the timetable for the works is detailed in the published material (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

The file concerns Europe's capacity to launch rockets from Norwegian soil. No other base in the county is mentioned in this information.

Transport: reduced fares extended in Nordland

Nordland fylkeskommune has decided to extend, from 1 November, price reductions on 30-day tickets for buses and express boats, for an additional six months (NRK Nordland / Lofoten). Adults get 230 kroner off, students, seniors and military personnel 110 kroner, and the young person's "Reis Ung" ticket is set at 250 kroner per month.

These reductions were introduced in May. Since then, sales of adult tickets have risen by 20% and youth ticket sales by 70%, again according to NRK Nordland / Lofoten. "Nordland already has affordable public transport prices compared to many other counties. With this reduction, it becomes even cheaper to travel by bus and express boat," says the fylkesråd for transport, Richard Dagsvik (Frp).

Nationally, The Local Norway reports that the train drivers' strike is set to escalate in October, with no published details on the lines serving Nordland.

Economy: El Niño drives up salmon feed costs

The effects of the El Niño climate phenomenon are hitting fish farming sites run by the Cermaq group in northern Norway, reports NRK Nordland / Lofoten. The rise in fish feed prices stems from the halt to anchoveta fishing off Peru. "Our feed costs for 2026 are up 25% on the budget set at the start of the year. We are still expecting a 25% increase in 2027," said the head of the farming company, Steven Rafferty, speaking at DNB Carnegie's seafood investor day.

He fears a drop in salmon farming profitability next year if feed prices do not fall or the price of salmon does not rise (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

Health: Frp demands system change after Heidi's case

NRK has told the story of Heidi Olafsen Berntsen, 39, who has a rare form of bile duct cancer. Doctors at Nordlandssykehuset consider the drug Pemigatinib to be effective, but the public body "Nye metoder" has refused to cover the treatment, on the grounds that the price of 143,000 kroner per month is too high given the documented effect for this patient group (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

The Frp health policy spokesperson, Kristian August Eilertsen, travelled to Bodø this week to meet the patient. "Heidi's story makes a strong impression. It is totally incredible to be refused a drug that is effective because of the price," he said. He is calling for the system to be changed.

In Lofoten, Lofotposten reported on Wednesday that local players are demanding more answers about the tourist tax and feel they need more information.

📌 Local briefs

Police intervened on Tuesday evening at a private address in Andøy municipality, in Vesterålen, following a report of violence. One person was injured, though the injuries were not serious according to operations chief Yngvar Fredriksen of the Nordland police district. Police say they have control of the suspected person (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

In Bodø, police detained two people who had not paid a taxi fare; a scuffle broke out between the driver and the passengers, with no injuries reported (Avisa Nordland).

A man in his thirties is to appear in October before Salten og Lofoten tingrett, charged with violence against a public official. The incident dates back to late August in Bodø; he is said to have first thrown a beer then spat at police officers (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

In Træna, a person recruited locally could not find any housing to buy or rent, reports NRK Nordland / Lofoten. Avisa Nordland also reports that the Haugen family, who have already sold a property and a business, want to sell again, and that a construction project hoped for this year is probably not going to start.

Sources: NRK Nordland / Lofoten, Avisa Nordland, Lofotposten, The Local Norway — Period: 29 September 2026 and 30 September 2026