Helsinki Airport
Helsinki Airport | |||||||||||||||||||
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| File:Helsinki Vantaa Logo.png | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Finavia | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Helsinki, Finland | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Vantaa | ||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1952 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hub for |
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| Focus city for | |||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 55 m / 179 ft | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
  HEL Location within Finland | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2015) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Helsinki Airport[4] or Helsinki-Vantaa Airport[5] (IATA: HEL, ICAO: EFHK; Template:Lang-fi, Template:Lang-sv) is the main international airport of the Helsinki metropolitan region and the whole of Finland with about 16 million passengers annually. It serves as the hub for Finnair, the Finnish flag carrier, as well as a base for Blue1, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Nordic Regional Airlines. The airport is located in the city of Vantaa, about 5 kilometres (3 mi) west of Tikkurila, the centre of Vantaa and 9.2 NM (17.0 km; 10.6 mi) north[2] of Helsinki city center. Helsinki Airport is the leading long-haul airport in Northern Europe and a popular transfer point.
Overview
Originally built for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, the airport nowadays is the fourth busiest airport in the Nordic countries,[6] with 15,948,760 passengers having used the airport in 2014. This number makes up for 81% of the total number of passengers in Finland's 21 commercial airports combined (18,880,940).[7] making it the busiest airport in Finland by far. It provides jobs for 20,000 people and there are 1,500 companies that operate at this airport.[8] The airport is operated by Finavia, the state-owned enterprise that operates Finland's airports.
As of February 2015, there has been a proposal to rename the airport as "Sibelius Airport" after Jean Sibelius, Finland's most famous composer. The proposal stems from the project group of Jean Sibelius's anniversary year 2015, the foundation for the Sibelius birth city foundation and the Sibelius society. The Finnish government ministers Alexander Stubb, Antti Rinne and Paula Risikko have expressed positive feedback for the proposal.[9][10]
Facilities
Terminals
The airport is nominally divided into two terminals, located 250 metres (820 ft) apart and linked by an internal pedestrian connection both airside and landside. In practice, however, the airside parts of the terminal buildings are not divided into Terminal 1 (the former domestic terminal) and Terminal 2 (the former international terminal) but to Schengen and non-Schengen areas. The terminal capacity of the airport is approximately 16–17 million passengers per year.[11]
In 2014, Helsinki airport introduced the world's first passenger tracking system,[12] which automatically monitors crowd congestion and prevents bottlenecks at the two-terminal airport.[12]
Terminal 1
- Terminal 1 is used by member airlines of Star Alliance (such as Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines).
Terminal 2
- Terminal 2 (gates 12-38) opened in 1983 for international operations. However the terminal also serves domestic flights. It is the largest of the passenger terminal at the airport. All intercontinental flights operate from Terminal 2. The non-Schengen area of Terminal 2 has been enlarged in 2009 enabling the airport to accommodate eight wide-body aircraft at gates simultaneously while a new shopping area and a spa was opened for passengers on long-distance flights and the division between domestic and international flights was removed. Terminal 2 has many restaurants, bars and shopping areas. The terminal is equipped with 26 aircraft parking stands with passenger bridges.
- Terminal 2 is used by member airlines of Oneworld and Skyteam airline alliances (such as British Airways, Finnair and KLM). Turkish Airlines makes an exception in Star Alliance airlines using Terminal 2. In addition to the scheduled services listed, almost all charter flights are handled at Terminal 2.
Runways
Helsinki Airport has three runways: Runway 1 (04R/22L), Runway 2 (04L/22R) and Runway 3 (15/33). Runway 1 is 3,500 m (11,483 ft) long, Runway 2 is 3,060 m (10,039 ft) long and Runway 3 is 2,901 m (9,518 ft) long. Runways can handle take-offs and landings of the heaviest aircraft in use today such as Airbus A380. The airport's three runways provide a platform for future growth while the airport can accommodate wide-body aircraft. The use of three runways allows two runways to be kept open when clearing of snow and ice is needed (if one runway at a time is cleared).[13]
Ground handling
The following handling agents provide ground handling services for airlines:[14] Airpro, Aviator and Swissport.
Other users
There are several airport hotels and office buildings on the grounds of the airport. The Aviapolis is a new international business park adjacent to the Helsinki airport area, already hosting the operations of numerous companies around the airport. Several hotels are located near the airport as well.
Development
In 2013 Finavia announced plans to expand the airport to serve up to 20 million passenger by 2020. The construction is set to begin in 2014 by adding capacity to check-in and transit areas at Terminal 2. The expansion project is estimated to cost 900 million euros. Part of the plan was to build a satellite terminal next to Terminal 2 but the plan was cancelled in favor of expansion under a single terminal building.[15] In September 2014 Finavia revealed more detailed plans for the future expansion that will take place between 2014 and 2020. The Terminals 1 and 2 will be combined and expanded under one roof with new gates (8 additional jet bridges to Terminal 2) and aircraft stands on the apron.[16] The construction of southern wing of Terminal 2 started on 4 January 2016 and western wing starts in 2017.
Once the south wing is completed in summer 2017, the area of the terminal will increase by a total of 7,850 square metres. There will be two floors: one for the arriving passengers, the other for the departures. The area of the apron to be renovated covers a total of 157,000 square metres.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
The following airlines offer scheduled flights at Helsinki Airport:
Charters
Cargo
^1 Some flights operated by MASkargo or ULS Airlines Cargo.
Statistics
10 busiest international routes
10 busiest domestic routes
| Rank | City | Airport(s) | Weekly Departures (May 2014) |
Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Oulu
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Oulu Airport | ||
| 2. | Kuopio
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Kuopio Airport | ||
| 3. | Vaasa
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Vaasa Airport | ||
| 4. | Rovaniemi
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Rovaniemi Airport | ||
| 5. | Tampere
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Tampere-Pirkkala Airport | ||
| 5. | Turku
|
Turku Airport | ||
| 7. | Joensuu
|
Joensuu Airport | ||
| 8. | Kajaani
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Kajaani Airport | ||
| 9. | Jyväskylä
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Jyväskylä Airport | ||
| 10. | Kemi
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Kemi-Tornio Airport |
Passengers
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_@_HEL,_July_2011.jpg)
| Year | Domestic passengers | International passengers | Total passengers | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2,803,907 | 6,760,931 | 9,564,028 | +2.2% 
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| 2000 | 3,042,914 | 6,967,234 | 10,010,148 | +4.7%
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| 2001 | 2,999,672 | 7,031,246 | 10,030,918 | +0.2%
|
| 2002 | 2,747,862 | 6,862,025 | 9,609,887 | −4.2% 
|
| 2003 | 2,684,618 | 7,026,302 | 9,710,920 | +1.1%
|
| 2004 | 2,836,852 | 7,893,125 | 10,729,977 | +10.5%
|
| 2005 | 2,804,304 | 8,326,285 | 11,130,589 | +3.7%
|
| 2006 | 2,927,627 | 9,220,154 | 12,147,781 | +9.1%
|
| 2007 | 2,875,289 | 10,215,455 | 13,090,744 | +7.8%
|
| 2008 | 2,700,350 | 10,726,551 | 13,426,901 | +2.2%
|
| 2009 | 2,372,844 | 10,218,762 | 12,591,606 | −6.3%
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| 2010 | 2,208,521 | 10,674,878 | 12,883,399 | +2.2%
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| 2011 | 2,707,044 | 12,158,827 | 14,865,871 | +15.5%
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| 2012 | 2,693,151 | 12,165,064 | 14,858,215 | −0.1%
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| 2013 | 2,431,632 | 12,847,411 | 15,279,043 | +2.8%
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| 2014 | 2,507,193 | 13,441,567 | 15,948,760 | +4.4%
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| 2015 | 2,591,724 | 13,830,542 | 16,442,266 | +3.0%
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Freight and Mail
| Year | Domestic freight | Domestic mail | International freight | International mail | Total freight and mail | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4,692 | 5,251 | 115,734 | 9,627 | 135,303 | +1.9%
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| 2006 | 4,145 | 5,469 | 126,332 | 9,098 | 145,044 | +7.2%
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| 2007 | 3,171 | 5,676 | 139,840 | 14,961 | 154,801 | +6.7%
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| 2008 | 2,968 | 4,435 | 140,572 | 9,532 | 157,508 | +1.8%
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| 2009 | 1,322 | 2,161 | 110,382 | 8,243 | 122,107 | −22.5%
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| 2010 | 1,083 | 1,992 | 147,139 | 7,793 | 158,007 | +29.4%
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| 2011 | 615 | 2,464 | 157,178 | 9,962 | 169,985 | +8.0%
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| 2012 | 1,747 | 1,930 | 180,426 | 8,100 | 192,204 | +12.8%
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| 2013 | 1,260 | 1,857 | 179,615 | 7,713 | 190,175 | -1.0%
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| 2014 | 987 | 1,558 | 175,341 | 10,986 | 188,872 | -0.7%
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| 2015 | 598 | 1,378 | 150,366 | 9,185 | 161,572 | -14.7%
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Ground transportation
Rail
The Ring Rail Line railway link to the airport opened for traffic in July 2015.[25] The new railway serves local commuter trains running at 10-minute intervals at peak periods, although capacity problems have prevented dedicated airport express style trains. The westbound commuter line "I" runs to Helsinki Central station via Huopalahti/Hoplax, while the eastbound commuter line "P" runs to Helsinki Central station via Tikkurila/Dickursby. The trip from the airport underground station to Helsinki Central station takes about 30 minutes and costs 5 euros. Eastbound trains stop at Tikkurila (8 minutes away) where passengers can transfer to trains going away from Helsinki, in the directions of Tampere and Lahti, including lines to Saint Petersburg and Moscow.[26]
Bus
There is regular bus service provided by the bus line 615 from the airport to the Helsinki Central railway station in 30–55 minutes, and major hotels and railway stations in the Greater Helsinki Area in 15–120 minutes[citation needed]. The chief operator of these services is the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority. A direct coach service by Finnair is also available to and from the city center (usually about 30 min).
Coach connections, daytime and overnight, to all parts of Finland are provided by Matkahuolto and ExpressBus. They depart from the airport coach terminal.
| Means of transport | Operator | Route | Destinations | Website | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bus |
Helsinki Regional Transport Authority | 615 | Helsinki Central railway station (Template:Lang-fi) | www.hsl.fi | |||
| Pohjolan Liikenne | Finnair City Bus | Helsinki Central railway station | www.pohjolanliikenne.fi | ||||
| Matkahuolto | -- | Hämeenlinna, Imatra, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kotka, Kouvola, Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Lohja, Mikkeli, Oulu, Porvoo, Salo, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa | www.matkahuolto.fi | ||||
 Train |
VR | P | Helsinki Central railway station (via Tikkurila railway station) | www.vr.fi | |||
| VR | I | Helsinki Central railway station (via Huopalahti railway station) | www.vr.fi | ||||
See also
References
- ^ http://www.cityjet.com/news/cityjet-to-fly-new-aircraft-for-sas.shtml
- ^ a b "EFHK Helsinki-Vantaa" (PDF). AIP Suomi / Finland. Finavia. 23 July 2015. pp. EFHK AD 2.1, pp. 1–7. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ "Finavia's Air Traffic Statistics 2010" (PDF). Vantaa: Finavia. pp. 7, 9. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
- ^ "Helsinki Airport". Finavia. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - ^ "EFHK Helsinki-Vantaa" (PDF). AIP Suomi / Finland. Finavia. 5 February 2015. pp. EFHK AD 2.1, p. 1. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- ^ "(HEL) Helsinki-Vantaa Airport". Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ Raeste, Juha-Pekka: Lentoasemat pulassa. Helsingin Sanomat 8 June 2014, pp. B8-B9,
- ^ "Helsinki Airport". Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ Arvovaltainen aloite: Helsinki-Vantaan lentokentästä Sibelius-lentokenttä, Helsingin Sanomat online edition, 4 February 2015.
- ^ "Helsinki-Vantaan lentoaseman nimeen halutaan Jean Sibelius". mtv.fi. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ http://www.helsinki-vantaa.fi/enemman-tietoa/helsinki-vantaa-lyhyesti/kehityshankkeet/terminaalilaajennus
- ^ a b "Helsinki airport introduces world's first passenger tracking system". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ "How Helsinki airport deals with snow and ice". BBC News. 20 December 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Finavia is starting a major development programme at Helsinki Airport 16 October 2013
- ^ Helsinki Airport determined to remain an attractive international hub: services will expand under one roof 18 September 2014
- ^ http://airlineroute.net/2015/09/29/ok-s16update1/
- ^ http://airlineroute.net/2015/10/07/ay-canfuk-may16/
- ^ http://airlineroute.net/2015/10/07/ay-canfuk-may16/
- ^ http://media.norwegian.com/fi/#/pressreleases/norwegian-avaa-uuden-reitin-helsingistae-dubaihin-1203120
- ^ L, J (12 January 2016). "Ural Airlines Adds Ekaterinburg – Helsinki Service from late-May 2016". Airline Route. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ [2]
- ^ http://www.metro.fi/uutiset/a1387812312447
- ^ "Ring Rail Line". Finnish Transport Agency. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
External links
Media related to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
- AIP Finland – Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
- Accident history for HEL at Aviation Safety Network
