The Local Council has proposed a resident discount offering half-price flight tickets for Longyearbyen residents. A report from Oslo Economics estimates the discount would cost 20 to 30 million Norwegian kroner annually. Gytri suggested the discount could be financed by the state or by making tourists pay more for flights, noting that the state spends 2.5 billion kroner on FOT routes on the mainland.
State Secretary Cecilie Knibe Kroglund in the Ministry of Transport did not dismiss the request. According to NRK Troms og Finnmark, Kroglund said the resident discount is part of an assessment of regional air services that has been out for consultation. She stated there are no technical obstacles to implementing the discount, but it is being considered in a holistic context. The government has not announced a timeline for a decision.