was “a transfer via Helsinki”. Yes, the fully-flat bed being rolled out across the airline’s business class cabins is important, as is the Finnish design aesthetic, and good food and wine on board. In the end, however, it’s quick transfer times, competitive prices and a hub that facilitates journeys to and from Asia that are the main selling points. The airport is, of course, aware of the importance not only of being an efficient hub, but also of marketing itself as such. It is a small airport, not only in worldwide terms but even in Europe. OAG ranks the airport 27th
it operates, and 31st
in terms of the number of flights in terms of the
number of seats it offers (although this reflects the slightly smaller aircraft sizes operated). The facilities are constantly being
improved, and, certainly for top- tier passengers with access to the lounges, the recent upgrade has made a good situation even better. The sauna in the Finnair lounge may be another gimmick (nothing wrong with that), but the lounges are clean, large and easy to reach from everywhere in the airport. It’s an enviable position to have
spare capacity, the political will for expansion and a clear strategy supported by the national airline. Helsinki is determined to remain an attractive international hub, and has
Visit
www.businesstraveller.asia
outlined an expansion programme continuing until 2020. The main point is that transfer traffic capacity will be increased while remaining under one roof, “keeping distances short and services easily accessible and provid[ing] a customer-friendly airport experience”, as the proposal puts it. The initiative has three stages. 1. Finavia (the airport owner) will
enlarge the facilities for long-haul passengers and increase the number of spots for wide-bodied aircraft for transit traffic. 2. Transit capacity will then be further increased and the service level for European and domestic flights improved. 3. Terminal 2 will be expanded so that check-in, security control and baggage drop will all take place in one departure/arrival hall. In addition, train services from
central Helsinki, located about 20km south of the airport, will start in July. Helsinki by Tom Otley
SCHIPOL
Schipol has five runways, no slot constraints and yet more room to grow – and is steadily building global connections for passengers across the world. The Dutch hub has a strong worldwide network of 323 direct destinations in 99 countries, of which about 140 services are intercontinental. It’s no wonder
This page: Schiphol Airport
Opposite page: Helsinki Airport
many business travellers in the region are choosing to route through Amsterdam. In 2014, Schiphol was named Best Airport in Europe at the Business Traveller Awards for the 25th
time. It’s perhaps no surprise that a
country built on global trade and exploration founded its airport with the key aim of providing “connectivity to compete”, as Jos Nijhuis, president and chief executive of Schipol, terms it.
“The Netherlands is a small
country so connectivity is key for our economy,” he explains. “Almost every business in the Netherlands is international because the domestic market is too small. To be able to offer this amount of intercontinental destinations, we need to have the transfer passenger, and that’s the whole business model of [Dutch flag carrier] KLM, which it has developed over the past 95 years. We have designed the airport according to that, because we have always understood that connectivity is so important.”
Schiphol is certainly purpose- built to serve transfer traffic, and more than 40 per cent of travellers using the airport are connecting to another flight. Its one-terminal concept helps the airport to minimise connecting times. While some may argue that
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 29
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