Helsinki Vantaa Airport

Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is the primary airport for Finland and a key transit hub between Europe and East Asia. HEL handles around 22 million passengers per year and sits about 11 miles north of central Helsinki. The airport is the primary hub for Finnair, a carrier that has built its strategic position around the geographic advantage of flying from Helsinki to Asia. Helsinki is one of the closest European capitals to East Asia, and until the closure of Russian airspace in 2022, Finnair operated extensive direct service to Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, and other Asian cities using the shorter routes through Russian airspace. The Russian closure has significantly affected Finnair's Asian network, but the airline has continued operating some routes via longer southern detours. HEL has a single terminal with two connected wings. The airport is connected to central Helsinki by the Ring Rail Line commuter train. Helsinki's position and the airport's efficient transfer operations have made HEL a well-regarded connecting point even as its Asian network has been reduced.