As the coverage of coronavirus vaccines increases, more and more Finns will book flights abroad this autumn. For example, many trips have been booked for the October school holiday season, says the national airline Finavia.
Today, Helsinki-Vantaa has an average of 12,000–15,000 passengers a day. A year ago, there were only 2,000 to 3,000 passengers. Before the pandemic, the corresponding figure was about 60,000.
Increased demand for travel is reflected in occasional congestion in the airport’s check-in area, Finavia said on Thursday. It noted that in such situations, maintaining security clearances can be difficult, so the use of a mask is crucial.
The 6-year expansion project is coming to an end
The congestion is exacerbated by the fact that the departure room is now smaller than usual due to extensive refurbishment work at the airport. The larger space will open on December 1, when the renovation is due to be completed.
The last services under construction and services for non-Schengen flights, including gates 37-39, opened on Wednesday at the end of a massive six-year expansion project.
"We will open a new gate area in the 34-36 long-haul area at the beginning of September. What makes the new area special is that the ports can be used on both Schengen and Schengen flights. This will allow us to allocate capacity as needed," said Finavia’s project manager Martti Nurminen.
More than 700 companies and 8,000 people have been involved in the expansion of the long-haul area since 2015.
Source: The Nordic Page