Flights from Pärnu fly to the Estonian island of Ruhnu and a summer route to the Finnish capital Helsinki. The number of passengers fell due to the closure of the Stockholm-Pärnu flight and low occupancy on the Helsinki route.

The airport brought in €1.7 million, of which €140,000 was earned by aviation. The rest came from government subsidies.

Compared with 2022, the airport's costs and revenues increased.

"Although the maintenance equipment has needed more repairs, we have now filled the positions. At the same time, the hangar at the airport is also bringing in more revenue and the solar parks are also producing," said Pärnu Airport Operations Manager Erki Teemägi.

Teemägi said charter and private flights have also boosted revenue.

"From Finland and Sweden as well, with historical planes that can accommodate more passengers, which fall under charter flights. Meanwhile, there was also a much more active observation of flora and fauna with flights over the Pärnu Bay in 2023," said Teemägi.

Pärnu Airport is supported by funding from the state and the City of Pärnu. Last year, the city gave it €214,000.

"This year's city budget foresees a maintenance grant of €386,000 for the airport. When the airport was first built here, it was decided in cooperation with the business community that Pärnu needed a regional airport and Pärnu has made its budget strategy and plans accordingly," said Pärnu Deputy Mayor Irina Talviste.

The Ministry of Climate said the regional aspect is more important than the cost of maintaining the airport.

"Pärnu airport is very important, there are already good examples of growth in the aircraft maintenance business. Why not also develop unmanned aviation there. So we hope that apart from seasonal tourism, a connection to Helsinki in the summer, a connection to Ruhnu in the winter, there is also potential for new connections," said Taivo Linnamägi, director of the ministry's aviation department.

Teemägi said the airport is sustainable as long as the subsidies continue. Self-sufficiency is a long way off.

"It would be conceivable, but it is certainly a very distant dream, because it requires at least two scheduled flights a day with a decent 70- or 100-seat plane," stated Teemägi.

On Monday, it was announced the Helsinki-Pärnu flight route will not return this year.

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