Finavia is implementing new scanning and liquid analysis equipment at Helsinki Airport as part of the Helsinki Airport development programme. Passengers will no longer have to remove their electronics and liquids from their hand luggage. In addition to the new automated lines, these upgrades are expected to increase the airport’s security capacity and speed up the service.
A portion of the old equipment will remain in use during the transition to the new equipment This means that electronics and bags containing liquids must be removed from their bags on some lines. Passengers will be directed to the appropriate procedure by Finavia staff, security officers, and signage.
In order to give travellers more time to prepare their luggage for screening, the airport has added more space in the security checkpoints. To reduce passenger anxiety, the area has been decorated with a blue colour scheme.
When the airport’s new terminal opens in December 2021, check-in and baggage services for all flights will be consolidated into a single location. This was done in order to alleviate some of the uncertainty that passengers had about which terminal they would be flying out of.
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The move to the new location will be divided into two stages. Flights departing from Terminal 2 will be relocated to the new departures hall between March 21 and May 23, 2022. This includes flights from Finnair, Air Baltic, and British Airways. The second phase will begin on June 1st with the relocation of airlines such as Norwegian, Lufthansa, and SAS, which are currently operating out of Terminal 1. The single terminal operating model is expected to be fully implemented at Helsinki Airport by June 30. Terminal 1’s check-in, security, and baggage drop areas will be shut down as a result.
‘We will centralise the check-in and baggage services for all flights under the stunning wooden ceiling of the new terminal extension opened last December,’ said Finavia senior vice president and executive director Ulla Lettijeff of the Helsinki Airport project. There is a direct route from security control to the new gate area opening on May 24th. Terminals at the airport will soon have new shops and cafes open to passengers. Only a little more than 200 metres separate the terminal’s main entrance from the closest departure gate, making it relatively close to other airports around the world.
According to Finavia’s Senior Vice President for Airport Infrastructure and Sustainability, Henri Hansson, “The opening of the new, advanced security control and transferring all flights under one roof are an important part of our service reform to streamline transfer travel and develop the customer experience.” He continued. Laptops, smartphones, and large SLR cameras, for example, no longer need to be removed from carry-on bags or hand baggage at Helsinki Airport thanks to new security control technology. Bags containing less than 100 millilitres of water can be kept in hand luggage as well.
