Tampere Airport's Growth Potential: Up to One Million Passengers Annually
Credit: Business Tampere / Visit Tampere
Infrastructure service company Destia has conducted an extensive study on improving the accessibility of Tampere Airport. The study examines the airport's passenger potential and ways to enhance its accessibility.
Destia's study is part of a regional international accessibility development program implemented by Business Tampere, the economic development agency of the Tampere region. The program's vision is for Tampere Airport to be the primary choice for air travel between Finland and mainland Europe, and that it would become Finland's second major airport.
In the short term, the goal is to double the airport's annual passenger numbers to 400,000. However, the study indicates that the growth potential in Pirkanmaa and nearby regions could reach up to one million air passengers.
Central Finland's Gateway to Europe
International air connections are vital for the growth of Finnish companies and the vitality of regions, both for business travel and foreign visits. According to statistics, in 2022, Finnish employees made an average of 0.85 international business trips per employee.
The study by Destia states that developing air connections at Tampere Airport would significantly improve accessibility in Pirkanmaa and especially in Central Finland, South Ostrobothnia, Satakunta, and Kanta-Häme. The development of air connections requires efficient travel chains and smooth ground transportation to the airport.
Currently, most regional air travelers fly from Helsinki-Vantaa, even though travel time via Tampere to Europe could be several hours shorter. This is made possible by the airport's central location, fast car, bus, and train connections from various regions, and the short transit time at the airport, with boarding taking a maximum of 45 minutes.
Business Tampere actively engages in communication and advocacy to ensure that companies, municipalities, and other entities in nearby regions recognize the benefits of the shared home airport and commit to using it. Increased demand would lay the foundation for adding more air connections, with airBaltic already being a key partner for Tampere Airport. For airBaltic, Tampere Airport is the first home base outside the Baltics, and the airline aims to further expand its operations at this fourth home base, offering direct flights to European destinations and connections to over 70 destinations via Riga.
The study emphasizes that the growth requires the development of ground travel chains, further improving the airport's accessibility by car, taxi, bus, and train. This would include new rapid connections from Tampere city center to the airport alongside the existing airport bus.
For more information:
Marja Aalto, Senior Specialist, Aviation, Business Tampere, +358 40 631 9211, marja.aalto@businesstampere.com
Harri Ojala, CEO, Business Tampere, +358 40 762 3784, harri.ojala@businesstampere.com