The overall value of the three-year investment will reach nearly €20m. The work carried out in 2024 will account for €13m of the total.
“Finavia’s investment in the renovation and development of the runway and taxiways of Kuopio Airport is very significant in terms of its size. We are very pleased that this year we will be able to carry out the final phase of the large-scale project, which will ensure smooth flight operations well into the future,” said Mari Nurminen, Finavia’s vice president, Central and Eastern Finland Airports.
The preparatory work for the renovation will begin in mid-May and will last six weeks. It will not affect the current air traffic. Flights to and from Kuopio Airport will be suspended during the second phase of the renovation from June 24 to August 6, 2024. The renovation has been timed in such a way that the impact on air travel will be minimal. During the break in flights, the nearest airports serving passengers will be Joensuu, Savonlinna and Jyväskylä, which offer an onward connection to Helsinki Airport. After the break, the third phase of the renovation will be carried out. This will have no impact on air traffic, Finavia said.
Over the summer, a new runway surface will be constructed, followed by asphalting. During the renovation, the runway and taxiway edge lights and electric power systems used by aircraft will be replaced, as will the line of approach lights in Juurusvesi. In addition, the B and C taxiways will be widened and all taxiways will be resurfaced. The renovation of the stormwater sewer system will also continue.
The replacement of the entire lighting system and electric power system will be carried out in line with Finavia’s climate targets and energy efficiency. The runway and taxiway lights will be replaced with energy-efficient LED technology. During the entire renovation project, up to 12.5km of new routes will be dug for the cables of new, efficient lighting systems in order to implement the new solutions throughout the airport area.
“As an airport company, we want to enable environmentally friendly energy solutions for those operating at the airport and greatly reduce the environmental impact of Finavia’s own operations,” Nurminen said.
A special feature of Kuopio Airport is the line of approach lights built into a lake, which will be replaced during the renovation. In the design of the line of approach lights in the lake, special attention has been paid to minimising the environmental impact during the construction.
The summer 2024 renovation project will employ 80 people in the Kuopio area, and several local companies are involved in its implementation. Finavia’s environmental, electrical and earthworks experts are involved in the design of the project. In addition, planning work has been carried out in close cooperation with the companies and authorities operating at Kuopio Airport.
“It is important for us to be able to provide airlines with an airport environment where their operations can be smooth and efficient. The development of the airport’s infrastructure will enable the continued extensive use of Kuopio Airport by various stakeholders, hopefully for a long time to come,” concluded Nurminen.
