It has decided to freeze the 2015 airport charges at 2014 levels. The decision will strengthen the competitiveness of Finland's air traffic in a challenging market situation.
The real prices of Finavia's airport services have decreased by 1.4 per cent every year between 2004 and 2014.
Airport service charges are a competitive advantage
- Our aim is to continue to keep charges at competitive levels so that the cost level of such airports as Helsinki will remain attractive to airlines. With attractive pricing of airport services, Finavia helps to make Finland more accessible and boosts international transit travel, explains Joni Sundelin, Director of Airport Networks at Finavia.
According to a comparison made in early 2014, the turnaround costs of Airbus A350 airliner at Helsinki Airport were the fourth lowest in Europe. In the price comparison of main European airports made in 2012 and 2013, Helsinki Airport also had the same ranking. Moreover, when transit travel charges are compared, Helsinki Airport was the least expensive of the main European transit airports in 2013.
Service level and cost-effectiveness as key factors
Finavia applies uniform pricing at its airports, which means that airlines pay same charges for same services. During the last few years, the charge structure has been changed towards a model favoured by airline customers: the focus has been shifted from operation-specific charges to passenger-based pricing. Customer-based pricing means that Finavia's performance risk is higher than the average performance risk of European airport operators.
- In addition to taking customer-oriented pricing decisions, we will also systematically continue the process of making our operations more cost-effective. Examination of the cost items with the biggest impact on airport profitability and improving work productivity - without compromising high service level - are key factors. Finavia must ensure adequate financial performance so that it can carry out all maintenance and development investments at its airports, says Sundelin.
In order to encourage airlines to start new services to its airports, Finavia is granting substantial discounts to operators opening new routes. In the first year, airlines starting flights to new destinations will get a discount of 70 per cent in their service charges.
For more information on Finavia's terms of services
