Finnish airport operator Finavia is to invest more than €15m in infrastructure this year, including the renovation of runways at Helsinki, Kuopio and Kuusamo airports.
At Helsinki Airport, the northern end of runway 2 (15/33), the transverse runway, will be upgraded. The work will start in May and be completed by the beginning of September. The renovation will affect the landing directions at the airport. From May to August, landings from the direction of Nurmijärvi will decrease and landings from the direction of Northeast Vantaa and Kerava will increase. Propeller aircraft will take off from runway 2 in the direction of Tikkurila as usual. The parallel runways 1 and 3 will remain available, which means that the renovation will not affect passenger or air traffic.
In addition to improving the stormwater sewer system, Finavia will also renovate the electrical systems under the runway and the runway surface. The total investment this year will be €8m. The renovation will resume in summer 2024, when the southern end of the runway will be renovated and the navigation and air navigation equipment replaced.
At Kuopio Airport, Finavia is renovating stormwater sewers and taxiways E and F, and continuing the renovation of the electricity network that began last year. The operator will invest €5m in the airport in 2023. The work will run from May to early September. The airport will remain open and operational throughout. The renovation will not affect air traffic. Kuopio’s runway renovations will be completed in autumn 2024.
At Kuusamo Airport, Finavia will renovate the runway lighting system and apron surface. Existing light fittings will be replaced with LED light fittings, which will reduce electricity consumption. The investment is worth €2.5m. Due to the renovation of the runway and apron, there will be a four-week break in flights to and from Kuusamo, starting on July 17.
“With the runway renovation projects, our goal is to improve the smoothness and safety of air traffic, and to improve water protection and save electricity. Water protection is important because, by improving the control of stormwater flowing from runways, it is possible to protect the microbiota in the ditches and streams in the vicinity of airports,” said Finavia SVP Henri Hansson.
“Our new sustainability programme guides our investment decisions and operations towards sustainable air travel. Reducing carbon emissions and preserving biodiversity are important to us, and we will also take this into account in this summer’s renovations,” he said.
In addition to infrastructure investments, Finavia will also spend more than €5m on sustainable development projects at Helsinki Airport, Turku Airport and Pori Airport.
Image: Finavia
