FINLAND. Growth in air travel in Finland rose by +2% in 2003 according to the Finland Civil Aviation Administration.
Domestic travel declined by -2% but international travel rose by +4%.
A total of 13,186,000 passengers passed through Finland Civil Aviation Administration airports, the number using Helsinki-Vantaa Airport amounting to 9,669,000, representing a rise of +1% over the previous year. The biggest increases in passenger numbers occurred at Tampere-Pirkkala Airport, up +29%, and Enontekiö, which saw a rise of +51%. Overseas traffic in particular rose sharply at Tampere-Pirkkala thanks to the introduction of flights to Stockholm and London by Ryanair.
Finnish air traffic in 2003 was characterized by the start-up of a number of new airlines, whose positive effect was visible at many airports. Similarly, the powerful increase in Christmas season charter flights to Lapland added lustre to the aviation industry’s growth figures for last year.
