Runway 2 at Helsinki Airport is being closed on Monday for renovation work and it is not scheduled to be back in service before early September.
Two other runways will continue to be in use while the work is ongoing. According to airport operator Finavia, having one runway out of service may affect flight schedules, particularly in challenging wind conditions. Strong south-easterly and north-westerly winds may in particular have an impact.
Finavia says the renovation is part of normal life-cycle management and a prerequisite for smooth air traffic operations. During the operational break, the southern end of runway 2 and taxiways will be repaired and approach equipment will be replaced.
The start of the project coincides with the beginning of the summer travel season, and an increase in the number of flights at Helsinki Airport.
Tracking noise
During the renovation work, aircraft landing patterns will also be different from normal. This will temporarily increase noise levels in areas north and northeast of the airport such as Kerava, Tuusula and Järvenpää.
Noise levels are regularly reported by Finavia in accordance with the airport’s environmental permit.
The most important tool for this is the ANOMS (Airport Noise and Operations Monitoring System), which is the only continuous monitoring system for urban noise in Finland. It links the data from the ten continuous noise meters located in different parts of Uusimaa with radar data.
Noise measurement readings are also available in the public WebTrak service which tracks Helsinki Airport’s flight and noise events. In the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, it is possible to view information up to a distance of approximately 70 kilometres from Helsinki Airport.
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