Tampere-Pirkkala is a modern, easily accessible and versatile airport that serves both passenger and cargo traffic. It is well positioned to grow into a major regional airport for Central Finland. Text: Marja Aalto / Business Tampere Business Tampere is actively promoting the development of Tampere-Pirkkala in close cooperation with various stakeholders. The airport already provides smooth connections to Europe and beyond. airBaltic, Latvia’s national airline, uses the airport as its base and operates two daily flights to Riga, offering fast and convenient connections to over 70 European destinations with just one stop. In 2024, the airport served over 161,000 passengers, and the potential for growth is significant. The region’s growing business hubs and population base support a return to pre-pandemic passenger levels and beyond. The airport serves business travellers, companies and leisure travellers across Central Finland and has strong potential to become the region’s shared home airport. More than just a passenger airport Few people realise that only around 12 percent of Tampere-Pirkkala’s operations involve commercial passenger traffic. The majority is made up of civilian logistics, freight, general aviation, national defence and flight training. The airport is continuously maintained and developed, so its technical and operational readiness is already excellent and ready to support increased passenger volumes. As the main base of the Finnish Air Force’s Satakunta Air Command, Tampere-Pirkkala is a key part of national defence and Finland’s air defence infrastructure. Colonel (ret.) Mika Kulkas, defence sector lead at Business Tampere, emphasises the strategic importance of the Pirkkala air base:“The Air Command supports the Air Force through a wide range of functions, including test and support flights, research and development, and ensures air operations in southern Finland. The high level of operational readiness and technical standards is maintained by Satakunta Air Command, which also trains conscripts and reservists and supports voluntary national defence training.” The Pirkkala base is a critical asset for the Finnish Defence Forces and is now undergoing significant development. Its location supports international air units, joint exercises and operations across the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea. Pirkkala’s role as a logistics and air cargo hub is expected to grow. The Air Command’s expanding mission profile requires further development of the area to enable future capabilities and improved resilience in operational situations. Mika Kulkas started as a defence sector account manager at Business Tampere in 2025. He has a solid foundation for assessing the significance of Tampere-Pirkkala — Kulkas previously served as a fighter pilot. Photo: Petri Kangas / Business Tampere Supporting international aid and agile logistics Tampere-Pirkkala is also an active hub for international humanitarian operations. The Finnish Red Cross transports aid shipments from the airport to crisis areas around the world. Its logistics centre is located nearby, and the airport’s efficient operation enables rapid response to emergencies requiring humanitarian assistance. Jetpak also operates at the airport, offering fast logistics solutions for urgent shipments. The company cooperates with airBaltic, using its flights to enable flexible transport across Europe. Another key freight operator is DANX Group, which opened a modern logistics centre in a strategic location close to the airport. From Tampere-Pirkkala, DANX operates its own cargo aircraft, transporting spare parts and other time-critical shipments that require fast and reliable connections. A strong logistics cluster has also developed in the nearby Jasperintie industrial area, just off Highway 3. This area hosts ground terminals for Posti, NordPost and DHL, as well as the central warehouse for Also. Tampere-Pirkkala’s role as a logistics hub was further strengthened when Dachser Finland opened a new modern logistics centre near the airport in February 2025. The facility focuses on import and export transport. Dachser’s investment clearly reflects the area’s appeal to logistics companies and highlights the airport’s emergence as a key multimodal transport and logistics hub. Marita Jaatinen, business development director at Business Tampere, explains that developing the airport and surrounding industrial area is a strategic priority for the region: “We are continuing to develop both the airport and the nearby industrial zone into a modern, attractive environment. Clean energy and energy availability will also be part of this development. The key strength of the whole area lies in its excellent accessibility by road and air. We will also ensure that there are sufficiently large plots for warehousing and logistics needs in the future.” Ongoing maintenance and development Due to its importance for national defence and logistics, Tampere-Pirkkala is Finland’s second most critical airport in terms of operational and maintenance security. Its technical infrastructure is actively maintained to ensure readiness for growing commercial air traffic. In 2018, Finavia implemented a €20 million development and renovation project at the airport. This included a significant expansion of apron and capacity, resurfacing of the runway with new turning areas, upgraded field lighting, a modernised ILS landing system, improved de-icing fluid collection, and other environmental improvements. In recent years, investments have also been made in passenger services, including updated cafés and restaurants that opened in 2024. Overall, Tampere-Pirkkala is well prepared with modern infrastructure and facilities to support the expansion of international air connections. Businesses, municipalities and travellers across Central Finland can actively support this development by choosing to fly from their shared home airport. The industry publication Low Cost & Regional Airlines Business, aimed at aviation professionals, published a double-page feature on the Tampere Region in its May–June issue. Read the article (pp. 14–15). More info at Business Tampere Marja Aalto Senior Specialist, Aviation +358 40 6319 211 marja.aalto@businesstampere.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjaaalto/ https://twitter.com/AaltoMarja +358 40 6319 211 airport aviation cargo flying lentoasema lentokenttä matkustaminen rahti transport