“Our aim was to take advantage of the reduced volume of traffic caused by the pandemic. It was easier to do repairs on the apron during quiet times, so we were able to carry out the renovation very smoothly,” says Jani Elasmaa, Finavia’s Vice President responsible for Helsinki Airport’s runway and apron operations.
The renovation included the resurfacing of taxiways and the apron and improvements to aircraft stands and the stormwater sewer system. Work was also carried out in the air traffic area, which was why temporary changes were made in the use of runways as well as taxiways and the parking of aircraft.
“Although air traffic is slowly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still considerably fewer flights than normal. As a result, changes in the principles governing the use of runways did not affect noise management as much as they would have in a normal traffic situation,” says Mikko Viinikainen, Finavia’s Vice President of Sustainability and Environment.
In connection with the renovations, Finavia is also improving matters such as stormwater management, further reducing the environmental impact of airport operations. Appropriate treatment of stormwater is necessary when, for example, aircraft are undergoing anti-icing.
In addition to the renovation of the air traffic area, Finavia also completed a project serving the long-distance air traffic area. Completed in the autumn, the project is part of the Helsinki Airport Development Programme. During the project, more than 300,000 square metres of the apron were updated and renovated.
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