Vaasa Airport chosen airport of the year

The Vaasa Airport was chosen by Finavia as the airport of the year in Finland, said a press release of Finavia, the company responsible for maintaining and developing the country’s airports and air navigation system.

In 2016, more than 288,000 passengers traveled through the Vaasa Airport, making it the fifth largest in the country.

There are regular flights from Vaasa to Helsinki and Stockholm, as well as charter flights to Antalya, Las Palmas and Rhodes, among other holiday destinations.

The Vaasa Airport first started operating in 1938 when Aero, the predecessor of Finnair, began serving the destination. This makes it 14 years older than the Helsinki Airport.

The airport assumed its present-day look in the 1950s, when the first foreign route, to Sundsvall in Sweden, was opened. The airport currently has one runway, which is 2,500 meters long.

A 2013 sculpture by the Finnish designer Stefan Lindfors greets passengers outside the terminal.

The sculpture, named Aviator Solaris, is made of stainless steel and see-through fiberglass, the press release added.