Kuopio Airport

Old tower of Kuopio Airport. It will be replaced by a newer one in 2008.

Kuopio Airport is an airport in Kuopio, Finland (IATA: KUO, ICAO: EFKU).

It is currently 7th most popular airport in Finland (inland airports: 2nd, after Rovaniemi). Thanks to a growing number of passengers and shared use of the runways by the Finnish Air Force and civil airlines, Kuopio Airport is one of only five profitable airports in Finland.

Kuopio Airport was completed in November 1939. Flight operations started in May 1940. It was used by the Luftwaffe during World War II (1942–43).

During the Continuation War the runways were made from plywood.

Lake Saimaa highlighted. Gulf of Finland on the bottom, Lake Ladoga on the right.

Lake terminal

A unique Airport Lake Terminal is currently being built. When completed in February 2008, it will connect the airport to the nearby Lake Saimaa.

Lake Saimaa offers a waterway connection to the cities of the Finnish Lakeland: Imatra, Joensuu, Kuopio, Lappeenranta, Mikkeli, Savonlinna and Varkaus. Vuoksi River flows from Saimaa to Lake Ladoga (Russia). Saimaa Canal connects Saimaa with the Gulf of Finland.

Airlines and destinations

DOMESTIC

• Blue1 (Helsinki)
• Finnair (Helsinki)
• Finncomm Airlines (Helsinki)

INTERNATIONAL

• AirBaltic (Riga)

Also charter flights during main holiday periods.

Finnish Air Force

Kuopio Airport is also home of The Finnish Airforce Karelia Air Command.

• Fighter Squadron 31 (HävLLv 31): 20 x F/A-18C/D Hornet

Links

• Kuopio Airport
• World Aero Data: Kuopio Airport
• Airliners.net: Pictures from the Kuopio Airport
• Location in Google Maps
• airBaltic Kuopio