Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä in Kemi: “Regional airports help ensure export success”

“Finland’s regional airports are essential for the vitality of the regions and are integral to the success of exports. I would like to see the current network of regional airports retained. Finland’s export income is generated across the country, and for many companies a regional airport is vital,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Lintilä.

“Instead of threatening to reduce the network of regional airports, we should now be investing in the development of these airports and in their cost effectiveness. In Norway, for instance, flight control is performed remotely using the latest technology. This should be possible in Finland as well,” says Minister Lintilä.

“The situation should be looked at in terms of the national economy as a whole, not just focusing on a single company. For businesses it is important to ensure that international travel is convenient. From the viewpoint of economic and industrial policy too, I see it as essential that we have direct international connections from some of our regional airports to key aviation hubs.

After a number of years, the outlook for the regions is now very positive, and Finland is attracting tourists. Good accessibility is one of the major elements for success in tourism. It is vital to ensure fast connections between cities, as busy travellers from Asia, for example, rarely have weeks to spend seeing Finland’s sights. Visitors are increasingly interested in the whole of the country, which brings opportunities not only for Lapland but also other parts of Finland.

Inquiries:
Markku Rajala, Special Adviser to the Minister of Economic Affairs, tel. + 358 50 345 8490