HELSINKI-VANTAA AIRPORT: Finnair and LCCs drive growth

HELSINKI-VANTAA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT handled 18.9 million passengers in 2017, a 9.9% year-on-year increase, and its fifth consecutive year of growth since experiencing a small dip in 2012 (when traffic fell by 0.1%). Since then, the passenger growth rate has followed an accelerating path, rising to 11.9% in 1H2018 when the airport handled 10.1 million passengers and was one of Europe's fastest growing hubs.

Helsinki-Vantaa's importance as a hub outranks Finland's size by population among European countries. Its leading airline, Finnair, targets connecting traffic between Europe and Asia and has made Helsinki-Vantaa the number six European airport by seat capacity to North East Asia.

This Asia focused long haul strategy, supported by growing two way tourist traffic between Finland and other parts of Europe (driven both by Finnair and LCC competitors) should mean that Helsinki-Vantaa remains a growth story.