Construction work begins on west wing expansion at Helsinki Airport

Construction has now begun on the west wing of Helsinki Airport. Its new passenger facilities will be the heart of the terminal expansion.

The west wing represents some EUR 300 million of the Finnish airport operator Finavia’s substantial total investment of EUR 900 million. The first part of the west wing to be built is the large central plaza, which is scheduled to open in late 2018. It will bring 25,000 square metres of new passenger and baggage facilities to the airport.

”The magnificant central plaza It will be used by departing and arriving long-haul passengers. Various facilities, such as modern security control, shops, restaurants and new services, will be located around the plaza,” says Ville Haapasaari, Airport Director and SVP at Finavia.

Haapasaari promises the central plaza will be an architecturally impressive space. Decorated with Finnish wood, its rugged wall and ceiling structures will set an imposing stage for many kinds of events and phenomena.

“We want to not only provide our passengers with a smooth, pleasant and straightforward customer experience, but also to create experiences. Our aim is to establish a setting for an unforgettable and significant travel experience that lives long in the memory and strengthens the Helsinki Airport brand,” Haapasaari explains.

Investment decisions on the subsequent stages of the west wing’s development will be made later. Finavia’s expansion programme will proceed in stages due to reasons including the need to manage risks related to the project and business development. This allows Finavia to react to changes in market conditions in a flexible manner.

Helsinki Airport has seen favourable market development in recent years.

“Helsinki Airport has become one of the key air traffic hubs in Europe. In terms of routes to Japan, for example, Helsinki Airport is the largest airport in Europe at the moment,” Haapasaari adds.