Finnish airports operator Finavia will invest €3m (US$3.5m) to extend Rovaniemi Airport’s terminal in 2025. Due for completion in November 2025, the extension will be at the front of the airport and will increase the size of the departures hall by almost 1,000m2.
Enabling operations
Construction work at the airport is scheduled to begin shortly. Finavia has stated that the extension will not affect air traffic operations, but the traffic arrangements in front of the airport will be changed during the summer.
Passenger demand
The development of passenger volumes at Rovaniemi Airport has been very strong throughout Europe in recent years. In 2024, the number of passengers increased by 29% over the previous year to a record 948,000. Overall, 44% of these passengers were on international flights and 56% of the airport’s passengers were on domestic flights.
According to the company, extending the passenger facilities at Rovaniemi Airport will help prepare for the continued growth of tourism in Lapland and ensure a smooth passenger experience also in the future.
Jani Jolkkonen, senior vice president of Finavia’s airport network, said, “For years, Finavia has been investing in the development of airports in Lapland so that tourism in the region could grow and develop. During 2018-2020, we implemented a significant €60m [US$69m] investment program at Rovaniemi, Kittilä and Ivalo airports. Rovaniemi Airport represented just under half of the total investment at €25m [US$29m].
“Thanks to the investments made in the past and the continuous development of customer experience, the customer satisfaction of Lapland’s tourists with the airport experience is very high. It is clear that a good passenger experience must be maintained even at a rapid rate of growth, so I am very pleased to announce a new investment in Rovaniemi.”
Finavia’s long-term investments
Finavia has invested more than €100m (US$115m) in Lapland’s airports over the past 10 years. In addition to development investments, Finavia has implemented normal lifecycle management of the airports’ infrastructure, including runway renovations and equipment purchases. As a result of long-term sustainability efforts, Lapland’s airports reached net zero carbon emissions in 2024 and it also holds Visit Finland’s sustainable travel certificate.
From 2018-2020 alone, Finavia invested €25m (US$29m) in Rovaniemi Airport to provide 5,000m2 more terminal space (a 75% increase), 10 more passport control points (+50%), six new check-in lines (+75%), as well as three new departure gates, one bridge gate and two bus gates (+150%). The company also extended the airport’s luggage center and updated its shopping and restaurant services.
In related news, Finavia recently reported that its pilot for a new digital queue-prediction service at Helsinki Airport has received approximately 100,000 views since launching in October. Click here to read the full story