Traveling around the country of Suomi or choosing the shortest route through Helsinki, one cannot but appreciate the hospitality and obvious advantages of the air gates of the Finnish capital. Vantaa Airport provides the highest level of comfort and service. The absence of queues, fast transit registration, dozens of directions for flights, cozy lounges, an exhaustive list of services and the professionalism of the services make an indelible impression even on a very sophisticated audience.
Briefly about the history of the air harbor
The Finnish authorities came up with the idea of building a new airport in the capital in the 40s of the last century, after it became clear that Malmi International Airport was no longer able to cope with the tasks assigned to it. The site for the new air harbor was chosen 20 km from Helsinki, in the town of Vantaa, and it was opened on the eve of the 1952 Olympic Games.
At first, only charter flights were carried out from it. Serving regulars started in October 1959, and transatlantic - ten years later. The air hub, known all over the world, was named Helsinki-Vantaa in 1977.
In 1983, Finnair took over flights to Japan. The passenger terminal grew in size, and five years later Vantaa served more than 6 million passengers. In 1996, the international (2nd terminal) and domestic (1st) were connected.
In 2021, the hub received almost 13 million passengers, and the next - already 14 million. When the railway line opened in July 2015, 16 million passengers were served here. Finavia predicts that this figure will grow by another quarter this year and will continue to rise as Norwegian Air Shuttle doubles its flights over the next five years.
What is Vantaa-Helsinki Airport
Vantaa is Finland's largest international air port and one of the most important hubs in Europe. From here, you can fly to over 140 destinations in 50 countries around the world. It is served by about 50 regular airlines and many charter ones.
Vantaa is the main base for Finnair with about 1,100 flights a week, as well as the budget Norwegian Air Shuttle with over 200 flights every week. Therefore, the airport operates around the clock.
The main building includes two terminals located at a distance of 250 meters, which are connected by a walkway. The total area is conditionally divided into two zones:
- for flights to Schengen countries;
- for all other flights.
Domestic and Schengen flights are served by gates 11 to 31, others - by gates 31-38. The terminals are equipped with an intuitive navigation system. Thanks to the large number of information signs and boards, it is quite easy to navigate here. The signs are made in several languages, including Russian.
The uncontrolled area is called the Landside here. After passport control, the Airside controlled area begins. Recently, the Silent Airport project was launched in Vantaa, which significantly reduced the noise level in the building.
Information about the beginning of boarding the plane and departure is not announced by speakerphone, therefore, the flight can only be monitored using electronic displays.
If necessary, please contact the airport administration:
- by calling the information service: +358 200-14-636;
- by email: [email protected];
- via the official website in Russian (finavia.fi).
The specifics of the airport
Detailed information on the list of basic and additional services in Vantaa-Helsinki can be obtained on the official website, available in the Russian version. The national carrier Finnair has the same portal.
Information (information) desks are located at the arrivals level, as well as in the corridor between the terminals. They work 24 hours a day. And now about everything in order.
Passenger check-in
The flight schedule is available on electronic boards and on the websites mentioned above. You must go through security control at the airport. To do this, you must present a boarding pass (mobile, received at the counter or printed from the website), take off your outerwear and watch and, together with a laptop, keys and coins (if any), send it in a tray along a moving belt for inspection using an X-ray machine. Such control is also mandatory when transferring to a connecting flight to a country outside the Schengen area.
Check-in for a flight is governed by the rules established by a particular carrier, which can be found on its website. It should be borne in mind that low-cost airlines no longer use their usual racks and carry out this procedure online. You can check in the evening before departure from 18.00 to 21.30.
The check-in process is fully automated due to more than fifty special kiosks, where you can check in for the flight yourself.
If any difficulties arise, the airport staff are always ready to help. Once you have received your boarding pass, your baggage must be tagged and placed on an automatic belt.
The transit area is fully automated. The change here takes only 35 minutes. Transit counters are available at gates 24 and 32A. If there is no boarding pass for a connecting flight, it will be issued on the spot. If the baggage is not checked in to its final destination, it must be collected and then checked in again.
Lounges
A map of the airport and terminal infrastructure is available in each arrivals and departures halls. There are several lounges in the Air Zone:
- SAS is intended for passengers of the Swedish company of the same name. Opens one hour before the first SAS flight and closes 30 minutes before the last. Located at exit 13.
- Almost @ Home - Located at Gate 32. Open daily from 05.30 to 23.30. Payment at the entrance (48 euros). There is a shower.
- Aspire - located at gate 27 in the Schengen area. Open from 05.30 to 20.00 every day. There is a paid shower. Payment at the entrance (35 euros). There is a possibility of booking online.
- Finnair has two such halls: the first is on the third floor at gate 22 and is open from 05.30 to 24.00 seven days a week. Available free of charge to passengers with Finnair Business Class tickets. Hot meals are organized here, alcoholic drinks are sold. The cost of a three-hour visit is 48 euros. The second hall is located at gate 50. Open from 06.00 to 24.00. There are GoSleep sleep capsules.
- VIP zones. There are three of them. Located in the security control area (one on the third floor of Terminal 2) and are intended for meetings of groups of passengers up to 10 people.
- The Kainuu Lounge is a space open to all for 24 hours at gate 31. It is allowed to lie on the carpet here.
Internet and Wi-Fi
In Vantaa, free Wi-Fi at a speed of 100 Mbit / s operates around the clock with no time limit. Coverage area - all terminals and part of the surrounding area.
In addition, the airport has six desktop computer stations with network access in the eService bar, which can be found at Gate 20. The institution is open around the clock.
Airport hotels
On the territory of the air hub there is one hotel and two more in the immediate vicinity:
- The hotel is located directly in the airport building in the "Ground Zone" on the ground floor ("P") below Arrivals Hall 2B. In the afternoon (between 9.00 and 17.00) you can rent a room for 4-8 hours. There is a gym and you can rent an iPad. There is a corridor leading to Terminal 1.
- Located 200 m from the railway station and terminal No. 2, with which it is connected by covered walkways. Next to the hotel is the Jumbo Shopping Center, which allows you to go shopping, watch a movie or relax in the spa.
- It is located about a hundred meters from Terminal 2. You need to get there by taxi. Day rooms are available from 9.00 to 19.00.
There are five more hotels relatively close. In addition, there is a bus service to more distant hotels - Clarion and Sokos.
At the airport itself, for a fee, you can relax in GoSleep sleeping cabins (near gate 11).This can be done free of charge from 6 am to 9 pm. The rest of the time the cost of an hour is 6.5 euros, three - 18, five - 35, and unlimited - 40 euros. In the Finnair Lounge (near Gate 50) these booths are free for visitors.
Additional services
The abundance of shops at the airport is simply amazing. Duty Free, located at gate 22, is open from 5 am to 11 pm, at gate 23 from 6.30 to 23.00, and at the 13th from 05.00 to 21.00.
Food and drink can be purchased from countless retail outlets at any time of the day. Eating is also not a problem - there are many cafes in the building, including Scandinavian cuisine. For example, Tori (located at Gates 26-27) or Nordic Kitchen (Gate 35). Alepa's 24-hour grocery store is located in Arrivals Hall 2B.
The Otto currency exchange at Gate 26 is open from 5 am to 9 pm. ATMs operate around the clock at gates 14, 21-23, there are 2 terminals in the uncontrolled area, as well as in arrivals halls 2A and 2B.
There are several hairdressing salons: Fly-hair in the lower corridor is open Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 17.00, and the men's hairdressing salon in Arrivals Hall 2A is from 8 am to 8 pm (Saturday from 09.00 to 17.00, on Sunday from 12.00 to 18.00).
Book exchange is open 24 hours in the Kainuu Lounge next to gate 31 in the departure area. Playgrounds are available around the clock at gates 16, 20, 30 and 38.
Left-luggage offices are located on the ground floor. Rates range from € 5 for a small locker to € 6 per day of storage for the larger option. You can leave things for a maximum of 14 days.
Several mailboxes are available on the ground level in the arrivals area of the 2nd terminal. The Mehiläinen Medical Clinic is located outside this terminal. The pharmacy is located in arrivals hall 2A (open from 06.30 to 21.00). OTC drugs can be found at the kiosk at Gate 27, open from 5 am to 11 pm (Saturday until 9 pm).
Smoking areas are located at gates 12, 19, 29 (3rd floor), 36 and 37. Gadgets charging units are located at gates 11, 18-19, 20, 21, 25, 27, 31, 32A, 32, 33, 37 and 38. Suvanto (gates 16-19 and 37), designated areas for work and leisure, also have charging stations. Exit 21 has tables with electrical sockets hanging from the ceiling.
The terminal has its own complex of parking lots. The cost of daily parking starts from 12 euros. You can book a seat through the airport website.
Transport connection
The airport is located about 25 km from the capital of Finland near the city of Vantaa. You can get to the city (and vice versa):
- public transport;
- by taxi;
- by train;
- by personal car.
The transfer can be booked online.
The bus service is represented by the following routes:
- Airport - Helsinki Railway Station: No. 615 and 620. Departures every 10 minutes. The trip on the first route lasts about half an hour, on the second - 40-50 minutes. The ticket price is 5 euros for an adult and 2.5 euros for a child.
- The airport is the center of the capital. Finnair branded shuttles run every 20-30 minutes. The fare is 5 euros (3 euros for a child).
- Airport-Square Elielinaukio (in the city center): No. 415. The fare is the same - 5 euros. The schedule is changing.
- The Tikkurila railway station can be reached, and only at night, by bus no. 562N.
High-speed trains run between the Finnish capital and the airport every 10-20 minutes. A taxi to the city costs 35-50 euros, depending on the distance of the trip and the class of the car.
By car, you can get to the airport parking complex from the third ring or the highway to Tuusula (there is no difference for the navigator) in half an hour. There is a free Airport Bus from the car parks to the terminals every 15 minutes.
Finally
The large, modern airport in Helsinki prefers new technologies, which every traveler does not interfere with mastering. In fact, Vantaa symbolizes the whole of Finland, representing a kind of symbiosis of established traditions and everything fresh and innovative. At the same time, Russian-speaking tourists are not forgotten here either. Pay attention to the list of services provided online, especially registration. When this becomes a habit, you will only have to remember about queues at the counters.
