Regularly scheduled flights between Tartu and Helsinki were relaunched on 31 March of last year. Over the course of the year, 37,369 passengers flew through Tartu Airport, which means that, on average, more than 3,100 people are flying through the airport per month.
According to Urmas Klaas, the Mayor of Tartu, the large number of passengers clearly demonstrates the need for air connectivity. ‘This connection is more than just transport; it is a critically important opportunity for universities, tourism and business in general, for Tartu-based state agencies and for the local governments of South Estonia to have quicker access to international centres’.
According to Arunas Skuja, Finnair’s Market Director for Europe, the Tartu route has been an excellent addition to their network, noting that ‘Estonia is an important market for Finnair, and we are pleased to offer our Estonian customers daily year-round connections from both Tartu and Tallinn to our global network via Helsinki. We are seeing growing demand in the direction of the Baltic countries, especially Estonia, primarily from the Nordic countries and Central Europe’.
The most popular destinations for passengers from Tartu, via Helsinki, were various parts of Finland, Germany, and Belgium, with Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States also being popular. Most tourists came to Tartu from Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere in Northern Europe.
A number of important developments took place during the year. In 2024, flight procedures were updated due to GPS interference and meteorological equipment was migrated to a fully automated system, improving the reliability and safety of the airport.
The Tartu-Helsinki route is operated by Finnair. The flight time is 45 minutes and offers convenient connections to nearly 100 destinations worldwide. Detailed flight schedules and tickets can be found on Finnair’s website: https://www.finnair.com/ee-en
Express bus E1 operates between the City of Tartu and Tartu Airport. For late night and early morning flights, the bus runs along the route Annelinna keskus – City Centre – Airport and back. For daytime departures, the bus runs between the Airport and the City Centre. Additional information: www.tartu.ee/lennujaamabuss
In September 2023, the City of Tartu organised an international procurement in order to restore air traffic, which was won by Finnair. The Tartu-Helsinki route is subject to a four-year public service obligation, through the end of 2027.
Source: tartu.ee