Vaasa Airport

Summary

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]

Vaasa Airport

Vaasan lentoasema
Vasa flygplats
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorFinavia
LocationVaasa, Finland
Opened1938 (1938)
Elevation AMSL6 m / 21 ft
Coordinates63°02′43″N 021°45′51″E / 63.04528°N 21.76417°E / 63.04528; 21.76417
Websitewww.finavia.fi/airports/vaasa
Map
VAA is located in Finland
VAA
VAA
Location within Finland
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
16/34 2,500 8,202 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers153,781[1]
Landings3,557[2]
Source: AIP Finland[3]

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.

History edit

The airport was opened in 1938 when Aero began passenger traffic, which was later interrupted by the war.[4] In 1945 the airport building was completed and passenger routes were reopened.[4]

The airport took its current shape in the 1950s, when the runway was extended to 1,800 metres and the airport building was expanded.[4] In 1951 Vaasa Airport got its first international connection as Veljekset Karhumäki opened a route to Sundsvall in Sweden.[4] In 1971 the runway was extended to 2,000 metres and Finnair began jet traffic with DC-9 aircraft.[4]

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.[4] In 1998 Vaasa Airport took a step towards more international aviation, as the runway was extended to 2,500 metres in October.[4] In 2014 the terminal's renovation was completed: a new baggage claim hall, security control rearrangement, another café and a new store.[4]

In 2005,[5] 2008,[6] and once again in 2017[7] 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.[8]

Airlines and destinations edit

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Vaasa:

AirlinesDestinations
Finnair Helsinki[9]
Scandinavian Airlines Stockholm–Arlanda[10][11]
 
Vaasa Airport check-in area
 
Vaasa Airport traffic control tower

Passenger statistics edit

Annual passenger traffic at VAA airport. See Wikidata query.
Annual passenger statistics for Vaasa Airport [1]
Year Domestic passengers International passengers Total passengers Change
2000 227,523 98,851 326,374 +4.2%  
2001 216,409 95,651 312,060 −4.4%  
2002 194,651 74,466 269,117 −13.8%  
2003 169,088 79,836 248,924 −7.5%  
2004 166,836 94,480 261,316 +5.0%  
2005 178,378 118,886 297,264 +13.8%  
2006 195,045 111,106 306,151 +3.0%  
2007 213,833 108,095 321,928 +5.3%  
2008 234,447 108,948 343,395 +6.7%  
2009 207,274 86,983 294,257 −14.3%  
2010 194,102 94,040 288,142 −2.1%  
2011 226,931 111,568 338,499 +18.0%  
2012 218,742 155,399 374,141 +10.5%  .
2013 185,562 133,753 319,315 -14.7%  
2014 184,316 141,570 325,886 +2.1%  
2015 162,864 119,573 282,437 -13.3%  
2016 173,541 114,979 288,520 +2.2%  
2017 162,333 137,785 300,118 +4.0%  
2018 166,195 149,705 315,900 +5.3%  
2019 165,125 138,786 303,911 -3.8%  
2020 35,303 24,409 59,712 -80.4%  
2021 16,648 2,583 19,231 -67.8%  
2022 89,532 23,712 113,244 +488.9%  
2023 103,306 50,475 153,781 +35.8%  

Ground transportation edit

Means of transport at Vaasa Airport
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

  1. ^ a b c "Passengers by Airport-fi_42.xlsx". Finavia. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Flight volumes in all traffic by Airports-fi_42.xlsx". Finavia. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Facts about Vaasa Airport | Finavia". Finavia. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Vaasa is Airport of the Year". Vantaa: Finavia. 28 November 2005. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Vaasa is Airport of the Year 2008". Vantaa: Finavia. 11 November 2008. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
  7. ^ "Vaasa is Airport of the Year". Vantaa: Finavia. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Way: 11/29 (158195047)". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Finnair flight timetables | Finnair United Kingdom". Finnair. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  10. ^ "SAS NS23 EUROPEAN NETWORK ADDITIONS". AeroRoutes. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  11. ^ "SAS to double flights between Vaasa and Stockholm | Finavia". Finavia. Retrieved 4 February 2024.

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