- It is important for Finavia to be able to offer an exceptionally high-quality customer experience for both the international and domestic passengers at our airports. We want to serve our customers with joy and passion as well as offer them comfortable and functional facilities in order to ensure pleasant and smooth travelling, says Finavia’s Senior Vice President Jani Jolkkonen.
The expansions of Kittilä Airport is the first part of Finavia’s investment programme to be completed. The new spacious premises will be opened on 22 November when the extension of 1,500 square metres for departing passengers will be taken into use.
A café and restaurant operated by Lapland Hotels will open its doors in the area. This café and restaurant serves both delicacies from Lapland as well as international flavours. The diverse menu includes, for example, reindeer dishes, Finnish berries as well as hamburger, salads and meals for children. The café and restaurant also offers gifts and souvenirs from Lapland.
Finavia has invested in the design of the terminal’s waiting areas. Passengers can admire, for example, a green wall or Lapland’s beautiful nature on a large wall covered with landscape wallpaper. Families can relax in a modern play area where they can comfortably wait for their flight while playing interactive games.
Jolkkonen says that in addition to the comfortable terminal facilities, aircraft parking stands and a short taxiway have also been completed in November. They shorten the aircraft turnaround times and provide efficiency and smoothness to the airlines.
- Now it possible to park 12 aircraft at the same time at Kittilä Airport, which facilitates quick and smooth loading and unloading of aircraft. The short taxiway G increases the efficiency of runway use.
The second part of the Kittilä Airport terminal expansion will also be opened soon. After a couple months, 500 square metres of additional space will be taken into use. A large passport control for arriving passengers will be opened in the area.
The expansion work will continue at Kittilä Airport. A new full-length taxiway will be built at the airport. It will significantly increase the usage rate of the runway. Taxiway T will be completed by the 2019 Christmas season.
Jani Jolkkonen is very pleased that the construction work of Kittilä Airport has stayed on schedule, although the schedule was exceptionally tight.
The expansion of Kittilä Airport was designed by Architecture Office Karsikas and Alt Arkkitehdit from Oulu. Rakennus-Bergman Oy from Pello is the contractor of the terminal building. The apron expansion was designed by A-insinöörit and constructed by YIT and Destia.
Finavia’s investment programme at Lapland’s airports will last for two years and is worth EUR 55 million. Rovaniemi, Kittilä and Ivalo airports will be considerably expanded and more services will be added in response to the rapid growth in passenger numbers. Construction work at all airports began in the spring of 2018 and will be completed by the end of 2019.
The expansion of Kittilä Airport in brief
- Investment EUR 20 million
- Passenger facilities + 2,000 m2 (+ 20%)
- Parking stands + 6 stands (a total of 12 stands)
- Taxiways + 2 taxiways (short G and long T, total length 1400 m)
- Services café and restaurant, children’s play area, passport control
