Tartu-Helsinki air route serves 37,000 passengers in first year back
Regular scheduled flights between Tartu and Helsinki were relaunched on March 31 last year. Over the course of the year, Tartu Airport served 37,369 passengers, averaging more than 3,100 passengers per month.
The most frequent final destinations for passengers from Tartu to Helsinki were various parts of Finland, Germany and Belgium, but other popular destinations also included Spain, Sweden, Thailand and the U.S., according to a Tartu city government press release.
The greatest number of tourists to fly into Tartu, meanwhile, came from Finland, Germany, the U.K. and other parts of Northern Europe.
Tartu Mayor Urmas Klaas (Reform) said that the large number of passengers clearly demonstrates the need for this air connection, emphasizing that it serves as more than just transport.
"It is a critically important opportunity for universities, tourism and business in general, for state institutions based in Tartu and for local governments in Southern Estonia to gain quicker access to international centers," he explained.
Last year, Tartu Airport's flight procedures were also updated due to GPS interference, and the airport's meteorological equipment has also since been upgraded to a fully automated system, improving the airport's safety and reliability.
The Tartu-Helsinki air route is operated by Finnair, which had previously relaunched the service in March 2022, only to cancel it that fall.
Arunas Skuja, Finnair's market director for the European region, called the Tartu route a great addition to their flight network, noting that Estonia is an important market for Finnair.
"We are seeing growing demand for routes to the Baltic states, especially Estonia, primarily from the Nordic countries and Central Europe," Skuja noted.
Route to stay through at least 2027
In September 2023, the City of Tartu organized an international procurement to restore air traffic to Estonia's second-largest city, which was won by Finnair. The Tartu-Helsinki air route is subject to a four-year public service obligation, through the end of 2027.
Tartu Airport is accessible via the E1 express bus, which accommodates late-night and early-morning flights with an extended route from Annelinna keskus and the city center to the airport and back. During other hours accommodating daytime flights, the bus runs between the city center and the airport.
The flight between Tartu and Helsinki lasts 45 minutes.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
