Currently, about 20,000 people work in the Helsinki Airport area, and there are about 1,500 companies operative at the airport.
“Helsinki Airport is one of the most important hubs for workplaces in Finland. Air traffic employs directly more than 20,000 people in Finland. The majority of them work at Helsinki Airport,” says Communications Director Mikko Saariaho at Finavia.
The Ring Rail Line that opens in July will make the area even more central thanks to the good transport connections. At Helsinki Airport, the entire world is close, only a flight connection away, and by train it is easy to travel around the capital region at the price of the regional ticket.
With the Ring Rail Line, it takes 30 minutes to reach Helsinki city centre, and you can easily change trains in Tikkurila to travel elsewhere in Finland. Connections to Espoo also improve, as you can change trains in Huopalahti to access trains on the coastal line to Turku. From the rest of Finland, the Helsinki Airport area is more easily accessible than the Helsinki city centre.
Aviapolis and growth in air traffic increase attraction
Aviapolis, which is under construction, will bring plenty of new companies and apartments to the area. The first office building and hotel are already under construction next to the Aviapolis train station.
In future, an estimated 15,000 people will work in Aviapolis, possibly even more. Helsinki Airport is a quick two-minute train ride away, and the entire capital region can be reached fast using the Ring Rail Line or the bus terminal.
“The Ring Rail Line will make the airport area even more attractive as a central location for companies in the future. The Aviapolis area will rise right next to the airport, bringing new life to the area,” Saariaho says.
The growth in air traffic will also generate more jobs. According to Saariaho, the rule of thumb is that one thousand new passengers create one new job in air traffic. Helsinki Airport expects to serve 20 million passengers in 2020. In 2014, there were 16 million passengers, which was 700,000 passengers more than the year before.
New investments already under construction
New business premises are already under construction near the airport. Volvo's premises for motor vehicle sales and maintenance are under construction in Viinikkala, near the airport. The EUR 40 million investment, which will be finalised in 2016, is built in the logistics area near the airport, alongside the Ring Rail Line.
DB Schenker's new ground transport centre is also under construction in Viinikkala, next to the airport. The ground transport centre handles domestic and foreign cargo traffic, air and sea transport, parcel services and home delivery operations.
