Vaasa Airport
Vaasa Airport Vaasan lentoasema Vasa flygplats | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Finavia | ||||||||||
| Location | Vaasa, Finland | ||||||||||
| Opened | 1938 | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 6 m / 21 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 63°02′43″N 021°45′51″E / 63.04528°N 21.76417°E | ||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  VAA Location within Finland | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2023) | |||||||||||
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Vaasa Airport (Finnish: Vaasan lentoasema, Swedish: Vasa flygplats) (IATA: VAA, ICAO: EFVA) is located in Vaasa, Finland, about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) south-east of Vaasa city centre. As of 2023, it is the 8th busiest airport in Finland with 153,781 passengers.[1]
Regular airlines at Vaasa airport are Finnair and Scandinavian Airlines. The airport is also served by several charters with destinations to Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Greece, Spain and Turkey.
From 13 June 2024 – 14 June 2024, Vaasa Airport will host Vaasa Airshow 2024, marking 40 years since the previous airshow.[4]
History
[edit]The airport was opened in 1938 when Aero began passenger traffic, which was later interrupted by the war.[5] In 1945 the airport building was completed and passenger routes were reopened.[5]
The airport took its current shape in the 1950s, when the runway was extended to 1,800 metres and the airport building was expanded.[5] In 1951 Vaasa Airport got its first international connection as Veljekset Karhumäki opened a route to Sundsvall in Sweden.[5] In 1971 the runway was extended to 2,000 metres and Finnair began jet traffic with DC-9 aircraft.[5]
In 1993 the third and most significant expansion at the airport was completed, with the airport getting separate facilities for domestic and international traffic and with a significant improvement of the airport's services.[5] In 1998 Vaasa Airport took a step towards more international aviation, as the runway was extended to 2,500 metres in October.[5] In 2014 the terminal's renovation was completed: a new baggage claim hall, security control rearrangement, another café and a new store.[5]
In 2005,[6] 2008,[7] and once again in 2017[8] Vaasa Airport was chosen as the Airport of the Year in Finland.
The remains of the decommissioned 11/29 1,500m asphalt runway exist towards the south-west of the aerodrome.[9]
Airlines and destinations
[edit]The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Vaasa:
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Finnair | Helsinki[10][11] |
| Scandinavian Airlines | Stockholm–Arlanda[12][13] |
| Sunclass Airlines | Seasonal charter: Gran Canaria (Begins 18 October 2024)[14] |
Passenger statistics
[edit] | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
| Year | Domestic passengers | International passengers | Total passengers | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 227,523 | 98,851 | 326,374 | +4.2% 
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| 2001 | 216,409 | 95,651 | 312,060 | −4.4% 
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| 2002 | 194,651 | 74,466 | 269,117 | −13.8%
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| 2003 | 169,088 | 79,836 | 248,924 | −7.5%
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| 2004 | 166,836 | 94,480 | 261,316 | +5.0%
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| 2005 | 178,378 | 118,886 | 297,264 | +13.8%
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| 2006 | 195,045 | 111,106 | 306,151 | +3.0%
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| 2007 | 213,833 | 108,095 | 321,928 | +5.3%
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| 2008 | 234,447 | 108,948 | 343,395 | +6.7%
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| 2009 | 207,274 | 86,983 | 294,257 | −14.3%
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| 2010 | 194,102 | 94,040 | 288,142 | −2.1%
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| 2011 | 226,931 | 111,568 | 338,499 | +18.0%
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| 2012 | 218,742 | 155,399 | 374,141 | +10.5% .
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| 2013 | 185,562 | 133,753 | 319,315 | -14.7%
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| 2014 | 184,316 | 141,570 | 325,886 | +2.1%
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| 2015 | 162,864 | 119,573 | 282,437 | -13.3%
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| 2016 | 173,541 | 114,979 | 288,520 | +2.2%
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| 2017 | 162,333 | 137,785 | 300,118 | +4.0%
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| 2018 | 166,195 | 149,705 | 315,900 | +5.3%
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| 2019 | 165,125 | 138,786 | 303,911 | -3.8%
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| 2020 | 35,303 | 24,409 | 59,712 | -80.4%
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| 2021 | 16,648 | 2,583 | 19,231 | -67.8%
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| 2022 | 89,532 | 23,712 | 113,244 | +488.9%
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| 2023 | 103,306 | 50,475 | 153,781 | +35.8%
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Ground transportation
[edit]Means of transport at Vaasa Airport
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| Means of transport | Operator | Route | Destinations | Website | Notes | ||
 Bus |
Lifti | 4 | To Gerby via Market Square (Finnish: Kauppatori, Swedish: Salutorget) | www.vaasa.fi | At least every hour on weekdays between 6:00 and 21:00 | ||
 Taxi |
Taksi Vaasa-Vasa | Taxi | Vaasa | www.taksivaasa.fi | |||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "EFVA Vaasa" (PDF). AIP Suomi / Finland. Finavia. 5 May 2011. pp. EFVA AD 2.1, 1–14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
- ^ "Vaasa Airshow". Vaasa Flying Club. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "Way: 11/29 (158195047)". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Finnair flight timetables | Finnair United Kingdom". Finnair. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ "Finnair August 2022 European Network Adjustment - 24JUL22". Aeroroutes.
- ^ "SAS NS23 EUROPEAN NETWORK ADDITIONS". AeroRoutes. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "SAS to double flights between Vaasa and Stockholm | Finavia". Finavia. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ "Pelkät lennot".
External links
[edit]
Media related to Vaasa Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Finavia – Vaasa Airport
- AIP Finland – Vaasa Airport
- Current weather for EFVA at NOAA/NWS
- Airport information for VAA at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- Accident history for VAA at Aviation Safety Network
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