Helsinki Airport (HEL)
History, Facts and Overview

(Helsinki, Finland)

Helsinki Airport is more than 50 years old and dates back to 1952, when it was built for the Olympic Games. Many improvements have been made over the years, including a new runway in 1956, an additional passenger terminal in 1969 and various extensions.

In 1977, the airport was officially named Helsinki Vantaa Airport and the next decade saw ambitious extension plans, shortly followed by the building of a new terminal for domestic flights in 1993. More recently, in 2002 a further runway was created, and two years later, a major shopping centre was opened in the International Terminal.


The best shopping at Helsinki Vantaa Airport is to be found around the Avenue area, between gateways 30 and 33, where various Finnish souvenirs and delicacies are available.

The Helsinki Airport Duty Free shop on the Boulevard is particularly popular and is close to gateway 27. Refreshments are available at various coffee shops and restaurants onsite, which are easy to find around both the airport's arrivals and departures areas.