Transport in Norway fjords and lack of rail transport, regional airline travel provides quick travel within the region or to the capital. Major airlines based in Norway are Scandinavian Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe. Of the 98 airports in Norway, 51 are public, and 46 are operated by the state-owned Avinor. Seven airports have more than one million passengers annually. 41,089,675 passengers passed through Norwegian airports in 2007, of which 13,397,458 were international. The main gateway by air to Norway is Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, located about north of Oslo with departures to most European countries and some intercontinental destinations. It is hub
European Capital of Culture An international panel of cultural experts is in charge of assessing the proposals of cities for the title according to criteria specified by the European Union. For two of the capitals each year, eligibility is open to cities in EU member states only. From 2021 and every three years thereafter, a third capital will been chosen from cities in countries that are candidates or potential candidates for membership, or in countries that are part of the European Economic Area (EEA)– an example of the latter being Stavanger in Norway, which was a European Capital of Culture in 2008. A 2004