As a key inter-modal crossroads between Europe and Asia and between Eastern and Western Europe, Helsinki Airport is one of the main drivers of Finland's future economic growth.

As Finland's principal international airport and a hub for long-haul carriers, including national carrier Finnair, Helsinki has been chosen as the staging ground for Finland's first airport city development.

The strategic part of Finland's airport city development is the 'Aviapolis', an area of 42sqkm surrounding the airport. The evolution of the Aviapolis project relies heavily on cooperation between major landowners at and around Helsinki Airport.

"A key objective for Helsinki Airport is to further develop transit passenger traffic between Asia and Europe. A major advantage for the airport is that it provides the quickest route to 10 destinations in China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, India and New York among others," says Samuli Haapasalo, president and CEO of Finavia.

The state-owned airport operator Finavia, which also runs some 25 airports in Finland, has built services from the gateway to more than 120 destinations around the world, ranking the airport second for connections in northern Europe. 

The airport efficiently connects Asia with Europe through a strong network and frequently operated flights. Over 1,100 international and 700 domestic flights depart from Helsinki Airport every week.

In contrast with Europe's crowded and congested hub airports, Finavia has carefully planned its terminals around the intention to create a relaxed atmosphere for its transferring passengers.

In line with this, in December 2009 the airport unveiled a €150 million extension to its long-haul terminal including a luxury spa facility and lounge. The philosophy behind the extension was to focus on innovative services and travel efficiency.

The newly opened extension increased terminal space by 30%, increased passenger capacity to 18 million and baggage handling capacity to 12 million bags a year, not to mention the fact that it represents the largest investment in Finavia's history.
 
Helsinki Airport has been focusing its functions around providing high quality and reliable passenger services. The airport has been ranked at the top of the airport league in Europe in passenger surveys like ASQ and Skytrax for nearly 15 years running.