Mobile application to replace coupons at Kuopio Airport

On 2 January 2020, Kuopio Airport will start using a parking model based on a smartphone mobile application instead of barriers and coupons, said Finavia in a press release.

The same change was introduced at Rovaniemi Airport already in 2019.

Parking at Kuopio Airport has, up to now, been arranged in the traditional way: access to the parking area has been restricted with a barrier, and customers have used a coupon and pay stations to pay for parking when leaving. The parking model based on payment applications that is now introduced at Kuopio Airport makes access to the airport smoother, eliminating barriers, coupons and queuing at pay stations.

In future, visitors will drive their car straight into the parking area and launch the parking application on their smartphone. Customers using the parking application for the first time must register to use the application. Upon arrival, customers indicate the beginning of parking and enter the expected end time in the application. When leaving, they pay for parking directly in the application.

If customers wish to extend their parking session, for example because they are extending their vacation or because their flight is late, they can update the information in the parking application without returning to their car.

“Mobile payment is today’s way to pay for parking. Queuing at pay stations will be eliminated and access to the parking areas will become smoother. Our aim is to constantly develop new services and we feel that payment-related applications, among other things, have an impact on customer satisfaction. The goal is make travelling smoother and services more flexible,” said Raija Niskanen, Airport Manager of Kuopio Airport.

In future, customers will be able to pay for parking at Kuopio Airport using three different applications. The service is currently offered by ParkMan, EasyPark and Moovy, which have been used in on-street parking in the city of Kuopio for years. The parking fee at the airport is the same for all applications, but there may be differences in the service fees charged by the different applications. Instructions and additional information can be found on the service providers’ websites.

At Kuopio Airport, travellers can still use advance pay stations, located in the vicinity of the front doors of the terminal, where the parking fee can be paid using a debit or credit card. In connection with the parking reform, parking fees will also be revised. Up-to-date prices can be found on Finavia’s website. The transition to the mobile application will not affect the use of the season card: the related operating model remains unchanged.

“By transferring parking payments into an application, we can streamline operations and focus more fully on customer service. Finavia manages numerous parking areas so the amount of paper coupons is enormous. The reform is a responsible choice, with which we are trying to reduce environmental burden,” said Olli Väyrynen, VP Business Development at Finavia.