“We have been working to ensure accessibility since the start of the development programme. Already during the planning phase, we organised virtual, 3D tours of the airport’s new facilities. During these tours, we were able to demonstrate, among other things, passenger routes from the perspective of different passenger groups,” says Hanna Hämäläinen, Finavia’s Head of Passenger Services and Development for Helsinki Airport.
Hämäläinen says that the expertise of accessibility surveyors has been used in surveying the needs of special groups. Passageways are wider than before and there is more room for moving around. Signs and the rest of the colour scheme take contrasts into account.
“Finavia provides assistance services at its airports, and wheelchairs for assisting a friend or a family member are readily available. As part of the development programme, we have also added more accessible service and call points around the airport,” says Hämäläinen.
The new check-in area has an accessible counter on every check-in island. In December 2021, Finavia will open a new service point in the departures hall for passengers needing assistance. With the new traffic arrangements, people dropping off passengers and wheelchair taxis will be able to drive right up to the front of the terminal, close to assistance points. The new service point can be seen from the assistance points.
The Helsinki Airport Development Programme is the largest development project in the history of the airport, and Finavia has invested more than EUR 1 billion in it. The development programme was started in 2013 and it is set to be completed in 2023. Several new terminal sections have already been completed and put into operation.
Read more about the Helsinki Airport Development Programme
