Finavia, the state-owned operator in Finland, has announced a major milestone has been reached by its employee development program at Helsinki Airport.
Launched in 2013, the program is said to have now offered new jobs equaling 3,000 person-years – a unit of time measurement based on the amount of work a person can complete in a year. Mainly involving Finnish labor, Finavia says its efforts have had a positive effect on the country’s economy.
Helsinki Airport is currently undergoing an ambitious expansion, set to be completed in 2020. Passenger volumes are currently 16 million per year, and are expected to rise to 20 million by 2020. The development program will create roughly 5,000 new jobs at the airport in total.
Finavia’s airport network is highly regarded all over the world, and air traffic accounts for approximately 3% of Finland’s GDP. As Helsinki Airport expands, it will also encourage an increase in business in the surrounding area, from hotels to entertainment.
Kari Savolainen, CEO of Finavia, said, “The Helsinki Airport development program has significant financial impact. Through this program, we are doing our best to improve the employment situation in Finland. The ground rule is that for every 1 million new passengers at Helsinki Airport, there will be 1,000 new jobs.”
