Ivalo, Oulu airports to mark 80th, 70th anniversaries this year

Ivalo and Oulu airports will celebrate their 80th and 70th anniversaries, respectively this year, said country´s airports operator Finavia in a press release on Monday.

“The airports of Oulu and Ivalo have served passengers and airlines for decades and have developed into important hubs for tourism and business. Both airports ensure good connections and accessibility for the area,” said Jonna Pietilä, Finavia’s Vice-President of Northern Finland airports.

“Ivalo Airport is the northernmost airport in Finavia’s airport network and in all of Finland. The Christmas season is the busiest time of the year at our airport, as tourists from all over the world come to admire the magic of Lapland,” said Jarmo Pyhäjärvi, Finavia’s Airport Manager of Ivalo Airport.

Pyhäjärvi said that the 80th anniversary is an important milestone for the airport. Ivalo Airport was originally completed in 1943 but was destroyed in the Lapland War in 1945. After the war, the airport was rebuilt. The gold rush in Lapland in particular gave an impetus to the rebuilding of the airport.

Year-round air traffic at Ivalo Airport began in 1975. The number of passengers travelling via Ivalo Airport increased to more than 200,000 for the first time in 2017. The Christmas season is the busiest time of the year at the airport, as tourists from all over the world come to admire the magic of Lapland.

“Over the years, Oulu Airport has developed into a hub for air traffic in Northern Finland, offering good and regular connections for both business and leisure travellers,” said Liisa Sallinen, Finavia’s Airport Manager of Oulu Airport.

Sallinen added that the 70-year-old Oulu Airport is the second busiest airport in Finland after Helsinki Airport in terms of passenger numbers. Oulu Airport reached one million passengers for the first time in 2012.

Oulu Airport was completed in 1953, which is also when the airline Aero began operating regular flights between Oulu and Helsinki.

The first actual airport building was completed five years later in 1958, after which Finavia has extended and developed Oulu Airport several times. This happened most recently in 2011, when Finavia extended the terminal and baggage handling facilities by a total of 6,450 square metres.

“Early this year, both airports will celebrate their anniversaries by serving anniversary coffee. It will be nice to celebrate the history of the airports with the entire airport community and the passengers,” said Jonna Pietilä.