← Home / Airports / Finland

Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Helsinki Vantaa Airport

Compiled by Bill Gao

Helsinki (Vantaa), Uusimaa Region (Finland)

IATA: HEL ICAO: EFHK

Longest Active Runway

11,483 ft

3,500 meters

Field Elevation

179 ft

55 m MSL

Runway Inventory

3 active

Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

60.3184°, 24.9633°

LARGE AIRPORT

🏆

Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

tied #273 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#474 of 7558

Top 6.4% percentile worldwide

For airports with equal runway length, the worldwide order does not indicate a length difference.

National Standing (Finland)

#1 of 2 in FI

#1 of 31 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+14.8%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 HEL in numbers: 11,483 ft longest runway · tied #273 of 650 published · #474 of 7,558 worldwide (top 6.4%) · #1 in Finland.

🛫

Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Helsinki Vantaa Airport (HEL)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is a masterclass in sub-Arctic winter operational resilience. Its three-runway configuration offers total crosswind and de-icing flexibility, allowing widebody aircraft to touch down safely in zero-visibility blizzard conditions. Positioned 179 ft above sea level, HEL serves as a premier Great Circle polar transit gateway linking Europe and East Asia with short connection times.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Three active runways: parallel pair 04L/22R (10,039 ft / 3,060 m) and 04R/22L (11,483 ft / 3,500 m), plus crosswind Runway 15/33 (9,514 ft / 2,900 m).

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Opened for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Vantaa, replacing Helsinki Malmi. Built into Finnair's premier Asian transfer crossroads exploiting the Great Circle northern polar routes.

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

Dominant hub of Finland, located 55 NM north of Tallinn Airport (TLL) across the Gulf of Finland.

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

Internationally famous for 'Snowhow'—maintaining uninterrupted airfield operations through specialized fleet snow plowing without closing runways during Arctic blizzards.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Finland National Civil Aviation Authority · State Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) & ICAO Annex 14 Standards

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Longest runway ≥10,500 ft

⛰️

Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

HEL lies at 55 m (179 ft), #385 of 650 published airports by elevation and 35.7 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is 232 ft below the Finland median (411 ft, 2 airports); RVN is highest at 642 ft, 463 ft higher than HEL.

🧭

Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

1 Qualifying Aerodrome in Vicinity

Closest of 1 paved-runway (≥5,000 ft) neighbour within 100 NM: Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (TLL), 54.5 NM, 11,417 ft. HEL has the longest runway in this radius, 66 ft over TLL.

✈️

Runway Inventory & National Standing

Primary Runway: 11,483 ft (3,500 m)

HEL runways: 04R/22L 11,483 × 197 ft asphalt (asp); 04L/22R 10,039 × 197 ft asphalt (asp); 15/33 9,518 × 197 ft asphalt (asp). National standing: #1 of 2 in Finland; 1,634 ft ahead of RVN (9,849 ft). +14.8% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
04R/22L	11,483 ft (3500 m / 3.500 km)	197 ft (60m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
04L/22R	10,039 ft (3060 m / 3.060 km)	197 ft (60m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
15/33	9,518 ft (2901 m / 2.901 km)	197 ft (60m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active

🧭 Comparative Aerodromes (100 NM Radius, ≥5,000 ft Paved)

Great-circle Haversine spatial proximity matching for commercial facilities with paved runway capacity within 100 NM.

Aerodrome Name	IATA	Distance	Longest Runway	Lighting
Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (Tallinn)	`TLL`	54.5 NM (100.9 km)	11,417 ft	✅ Lighted

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →