“Illegally parked cars take up space in front of the terminal and cause queues. We are concerned that the situation may even lead to passengers missing flights,” says Jukka Isomäki, Director, Helsinki Airport Transport Services at Finavia.
Unauthorised parking has become a big problem as there is also ongoing construction work in front of the terminal. Due to the construction sites, the airport has been forced to make the lanes narrower, which makes the passenger drop-off zones even more cramped.
The coming weekend is the start of one of the busiest holiday seasons of the year, which means that car traffic to the airport will increase. To ensure smoothly flowing car and taxi traffic, Finavia asks everyone dropping off or picking up passengers at the airport to use the airport’s short-term parking spaces, located in parking hall P3.
Free parking in short-term parking spaces in February
“In February, we offer free parking for an hour in the short-term parking area at Helsinki Airport. We hope that as many people as possible will take advantage of this offer. Doing so would help traffic flow better in front of the terminal for the duration of the entire winter holiday season. Free parking is available until the end of February,” says Isomäki.
Normally, using the short-term parking spaces costs EUR 1 for every 10 minutes, meaning EUR 6 per hour. You can leave the short-term parking area without paying if your car was parked for less than 10 minutes.
Come to the airport well in advance on 14–17 February
Thursday, 14 February, marks the beginning of passengers leaving for their winter holidays, as families head for skiing trips in Lapland and Central Europe and beach holidays in long-haul destinations.
All passengers are asked to plan enough time for getting to the airport, checking in, dropping off their luggage and going through security. It is a good idea to arrive at the airport well in advance, especially for flights departing between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. or between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. from Thursday to Sunday.
The Finavia website offers advice on how to pack skis, snowboards and other skiing equipment. We also recommend booking a parking space in advance for the duration of your winter holiday.
