Oulu Airport

Oulu Airport (IATA: OUL, ICAO: EFOU; Finnish: Oulun lentoasema, Swedish: Uleåborgs flygplats) is located in Oulu, Finland, 5.7 NM (10.6 km; 6.6 mi) south-west[1] of the city centre. The airport is the second busiest in Finland after Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, as measured by the number of passengers (ca. 1.1 million in 2018).[2] There are around twenty daily flights to Helsinki. Oulu Airport is also extensively used by the Finnish Air Force for training purposes and the managing body of the airport is Finavia. Oulu Airport has offered free wireless network access for passengers since May 2007.[3]

Oulu Airport

Oulun lentoasema

Uleåborgs flygplats
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorFinavia
ServesOulu
LocationOulunsalo, Oulu, Finland
Opened30 June 1953 (1953-06-30)
Elevation AMSL14.6 m / 48 ft
Coordinates64°55′42″N 025°22′27″E
Websitewww.finavia.fi/en/oulu/
Map
OUL
Location within Finland
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
12/30 2,501 8,203 Asphalt
Statistics (2018)
Passengers1,096,917
Landings (commercial aviation)5,165
Source: AIP Finland[1]
Statistics from Finavia[2]

History
  • Old terminal and ATC building in 1958
  • DC-3 aircraft at the airport

The construction of the airport runways in Oulunsalo began in 1949 and were completed in 1953 after the previous airport in Oritkari became too outdated for modern aircraft[4]. In 1953 the airport only consisted of gravel runways and it wasn't until 1958 that the terminal and ATC building were built and the runways were paved. Finnair back then "Aero" operated routes from the airport with DC-3 aircarft and started flights with Sud Aviation Caravelle jets from Oulu in 1964. The current terminal building was built to replace the old one in 1973 and expanded/renovated in 2002 and 2011 with the old one being demolished in the fall of 2005. The second runway of the airport was removed in the early 2000's and the current ATC tower was built in 1998.

Hijacking

Finnair Flight 405 was hijacked from Oulu on September 30, 1978. The Hijacking was resolved without any injuries or fatalities and the hijacker, 37-year-old Aarno Lamminparras was arrested at his home in Oulu the next day after he had received his ransom demands. A Finnish movie The Hijack That Went South is based on the events of the hijacking by Lamminparras.

Runway

Oulu Airport has one runway, 12/30, which is 2,501 m (8,205 ft) long and 60 m (197 ft) wide. Runway 12 is equipped with Category II Instrument landing system.[1] The runway was renewed in summer 2017.

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Corendon Airlines Europe Seasonal charter: Chania,[5] Rhodes[5]
Finnair Helsinki
Norwegian Air Shuttle Helsinki
Seasonal: Gran Canaria, Tenerife–South
Novair Seasonal charter: Rhodes [6]

Terminal
  • Oulu Airport air traffic control tower
  • Oulu airport terminal building
  • Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-800 landing on runway 12
  • Passport control to the international departure area
  • Waiting area with a duty free shop, cafes and a bar

The old terminal of the airport was demolished in 2005 for more apron space and a major extension of the main terminal was completed in September 2011.[7] Four new jetbridge gates (gates 13–16) were constructed and the main terminal was expanded by 4,300 square metres (46,000 sq ft), raising the capacity of the airport to 1.5 million passengers per year. The terminal has three cafes one before security and two in the gate area which also has a bar "Oluthuone Toppila" and a duty free shop. Theres also a designated smoking area and a grand piano that can be played by visitors[8].

Statistics
Annual passenger statistics for Oulu Airport[2][9][10]
YearDomestic passengersInternational passengersTotal passengersChange
2018 991,161105,7561,096,917+18.8%
2017 851,54271,704923,246−10.1%
2016 950,20377,2921,027,495+4.6%
2015 890,60992,114982,723+2.3%
2014 829,936130,611960,547+9.5%
2013 745,178131,902877,080−18.7%
2012 899 854178,6791,078,533+10.7%
2011 850,305123,607973,912+39.1%
2010 595,457105,119700,576+1.7%
2009 605,53482,424687,958−14.3%
2008 709,77992,176801,955−4.5%
2007 764,67475,276839,950−0.9%
2006 764,83183,115847,946+4.6%
2005 724,86785,587810,454+4.9%
2004 691,66880,663772,331+15.3%
2003 585,07084,812669,882+5.0%
2002 573,09064,612637,702−11.1%
2001 656,86560,379717,224−2.1%
2000 668,86063,988732,8486.3%
1999 633,40056,202689,6024.9%
1998 583,60973,727657,336
1991 474,763
1984 > 300,000
1980 249,564
1976 256,164
1970 120,797

Ground transportation
Means of transport at Oulu Airport
Means of transport Operator Route Destinations Website Notes
BusOulu Public Transport8, 9City Centre (Finnish: Keskusta), Universitywww.oulunjoukkoliikenne.fiEvery 15 minutes

See also
  • List of the largest airports in the Nordic countries

References
  1. "EFOU Oulu" (PDF). AIP Suomi / Finland. Finavia. 30 June 2011. pp. EFOU AD 2.1, 1–12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  2. "Finavia statistics 1998–2017" (PDF). Finavia Corporation. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  3. "panOULU now available at the Oulu Airport". panOulu. 5 April 2007. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  4. https://www.finavia.fi/en/airports/oulu/airport/about?navref=paragraph
  5. Liu, Jim. "Corendon Airlines Europe S19 new routes/sectors". Routesonline. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  6. Liu, Jim (3 January 2020). "Nova Airlines expands Rhodes service in S20". routesonline.com.
  7. "Finavia to proceed with the project to expand Oulu Airport in line with the Government's stimulus decision". Finavia. 26 November 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  8. https://www.finavia.fi/en/airports/oulu/services?navref=paragraph
  9. "Matkustajamäärät lentoasemittain" (PDF) (in Finnish). Finavia Corporation. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  10. Väisänen, Anssi (26 April 2020). "Vain yksi lento päivässä". Kaleva (in Finnish). Oulu: Kaleva365 Oy (114): 26–27. ISSN 0356-1356.
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