Stockholm’s Airport Debate: A Strategic Opportunity in Disguise

The recent proposal to rename Stockholm-Arlanda Airport to “Stockholm Alfred Nobel Airport” may appear to be a symbolic branding gesture. But for many in international place marketing, it touches on something deeper: how cities like Stockholm position themselves in a highly competitive global landscape—where strategic visibility, connectivity, and brand coherence can shape their ability to attract talent, investment, and tourism.

Renaming the airport after Alfred Nobel offers more than brand polish—it connects Stockholm to a name recognized around the world for innovation, excellence, and global impact. But beyond the name itself lies a more important discussion: how Stockholm can use this moment to refocus on international accessibility, infrastructure, and strategic ambition.

In today’s global economy, cities compete not just on innovation or quality of life, but on their ability to connect—physically and symbolically—with the rest of the world. Direct flight connectivity plays a central role. International investors, conference organizers, and business leaders consistently rank air access as a top factor in location decisions.

Cities like Dubai, Singapore, and Doha understand this well. Their airports are not just transit points—they are strategic tools. Dubai International Airport, for example, underpins the city’s status as a global hub through coordinated airline strategies and long-term infrastructure planning. Even within Europe, Amsterdam Schiphol and Copenhagen Airport have positioned their cities as major entry points to the region by combining seamless service, route expansion, and long-term vision.

Stockholm remains a city with many strengths: a vibrant innovation economy, world class quality of life, and an impressive track record of producing global tech leaders like Spotify and Klarna. These are compelling advantages. The next step is aligning this dynamism with a cohesive place strategy: one that sees airport infrastructure, international partnerships, and visitor experience as part of a broader effort to elevate Stockholm’s global profile.

This includes:

• A refreshed aviation strategy, focused on restoring and expanding direct international links 
• Infrastructure investments that reinforce Stockholm’s role in emerging economic corridors
• Seamless visitor experiences, from airport arrivals to city mobility, that reflect the city's world-class aspirations
• Long-term political coordination, ensuring that place branding efforts are sustained across electoral cycles

This moment presents an opportunity—not a setback. Stockholm still has all the ingredients of a world-leading city. But like its global peers, it must invest strategically to ensure those strengths translate into visibility, access, and opportunity. A refreshed aviation strategy, combined with long-term infrastructure planning and political coordination, could elevate Stockholm’s role in the region—and beyond. In doing so, it can reaffirm its place not just as “The Capital of Scandinavia,” but as a city with global relevance.

So, the question is not just what we call the airport. It’s how Stockholm ensures that its name—whatever it may be—continues to be known, respected, and easily reached across the globe.