Helsinki-Malmi Airport (IATA: HEM, ICAO: EFHF) was an airfield that served Helsinki, the capital of Finland, located in the district of Malmi, 5.4 NM north-north-east of the city centre. It was opened in 1936. Until the opening of Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in 1952, it was the main airport of Helsinki and of Finland. After that, it was used for general aviation and flight training, and remained the second-busiest airport in Finland, as measured by the number of landings, after Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. The city of Helsinki, which owns the land the airport is located on, terminated its lease agreement for aviation purposes in December 2019, and its remaining runway was closed in March 2021, but several legal complaints are pending in courts. The city plans to use the land for the construction of approximately 25,000 new apartments starting in 2024. The airfield area, including the runways and taxiways, was opened for public recreation in February 2022.
Helsinki-Malmi Airport
Airport field and terminal building
Runway 36 in the evening sun.
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, or simply Helsinki Airport, is the main international airport serving Helsinki, the capital of Finland, as well as its surrounding metropolitan area, and the Uusimaa region in Finland. The airport is located in the neighbouring city of Vantaa, about 5 kilometres (3 mi) west of Tikkurila, the administrative centre of Vantaa and 9.2 NM north of Helsinki's city centre. The airport is operated by state-owned Finavia. The facility covers a total of 1,800 hectares of land and contains three runways.
Helsinki Airport
Aerial photo of the first terminal at Helsinki Airport in 1963/1964
Aerial photo of Helsinki Airport terminal area in 1969
An interior view of the terminal (later known as terminal 2) at the Helsinki Airport. In the foreground are Finnair's chief of aviation Olavi Siirilä (left) and CEO Gunnar Korhonen (right).