The runway and terminal infrastructure at Enontekiö Airport are at the end of its life cycle, and the Finnish airport company Finavia is looking at a potential sale of the asset.
For the development of the airport it is problematic that regular scheduled air traffic to Enontekiö Airport came to an end two years ago. The end of supply and demand for flights has put the economy and operating conditions of the airport in a very difficult position Finavia said in a statement.
Finavia is considering closing Enontekiö Airport and is currently looking for alternative solutions concerning the accessibility of Enontekiö.
“Promoting good connections and tourism is at the heart of Finavia’s strategy, so the situation at Enontekiö Airport is very unfortunate. The coronavirus crisis has further weakened our ability to invest in Enontekiö Airport, and we have to consider closing the airport. However, no decisions have yet been made,” says Finavia’s chief executive Kimmo Mäki.
“We are doing our best to ensure Enontekiö’s connections, and we have already had discussions with the municipality of Enontekiö and other stakeholders. We have discussed a few options that could be used to ensure the accessibility of Enontekiö,” Mäki continues.
Mäki emphasises that Finavia has wanted to raise the issue openly with the municipality of Enontekiö, among others, so that everyone is aware of the difficult situation at the earliest possible stage and solutions can be sought together.
One option to ensure the continuity of airport operations is to find a new owner and operator for the airport. Finavia is naturally ready to support the new owner in taking over the operations.
In 2019, Enontekiö Airport was used by approximately 28,000 passengers, which is about two percent of the number of passengers at Lapland Airports. Air traffic is largely limited to a few winter months. For most of the year, Enontekiö Airport has been closed. Due to the coronavirus situation, assessing the demand in the coming years will be even more challenging.
Based on preliminary calculations, the modernisation investments required by Enontekiö Airport could reach up to EUR 15 million, and Finavia is not in a position to carry them out in this situation.