Kuopio Airport
| Kuopio Airport Kuopion lentoasema | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| IATA: KUO – ICAO: EFKU | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public / Military | ||||||||||
| Operator | Finavia | ||||||||||
| Serves | Kuopio, Finland | ||||||||||
| Location | Siilinjärvi, Finland | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 323 ft / 98 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 63°00′31″N 027°47′40″E / 63.00861°N 27.79444°ECoordinates: 63°00′31″N 027°47′40″E / 63.00861°N 27.79444°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  KUO Location within Finland | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2010) | |||||||||||
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Kuopio Airport (IATA: KUO, ICAO: EFKU) is an airport in Siilinjärvi, Finland, about 14 kilometres (9 mi) north of Kuopio city centre. It is the seventh busiest airport in Finland, as measured by the number of passengers (ca. 254,000 in 2010).[2]
History
Kuopio Airport was completed in November 1939 and 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. The first terminal building was opened in 1949 before a new one replaced it in 1971. In 2004, Kuopio Airport was chosen as the Airport of the Year in Finland.[3] As of 2006, Kuopio Airport was one of only five profitable airports in Finland,[4] thanks to shared use of the runways by the Karelian Air Command of the Finnish Air Force and civilian airlines. Kuopio had its first international scheduled route when AirBaltic operated direct flights to Riga in 2008–2011.
Lake terminal
Lake terminal
Lake terminal interior
Lake Saimaa highlighted
A unique airport Lake terminal was completed in March 2008. The terminal is situated some 200 metres (660 ft) from the airport tower. It connects the airport to Lake Saimaa region.
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
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Finnair | Helsinki |
| Finnair operated by Nordic Regional Airlines | Helsinki |
| Primera Air | Seasonal: Eilat-Ovda[5] |
| Thomas Cook Airlines | Seasonal: Gran Canaria |
Accidents and incidents
- On 3 October 1978, Douglas C-47A DO-10 of the Finnish Air Force crashed into Lake Juuruvesi when attempting to return to Kuopio Airport. The aircraft was on a military flight to Helsinki Airport when an engine failed shortly after take-off and the decision was made to return to Kuopio.[6]
Finnish Air Force
Kuopio Airport is also home of the Finnish Air Force's Karelian Air Command and the Fighter Squadron 31 (HävLLv 31).
Statistics
| Year | Domestic passengers | International passengers | Total passengers | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 274,954 | 32,785 | 307,739 | +6.5%  |
| 2006 | 289,231 | 42,971 | 332,202 | +7.9% |
| 2007 | 270,430 | 33,774 | 304,204 | −8.4%  |
| 2008 | 252,616 | 37,601 | 290,247 | −4.6% |
| 2009 | 220,018 | 30,546 | 250,564 | −13.7% |
| 2010 | 207,067 | 46,545 | 253,612 | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 244,472 | 39,933 | 284,405 | +12.1% |
Ground transportation
| Means of transport | Operator | Route | Destinations | Website | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bus | Kuopio Public Transport | 40 | Market Square (Finnish: Kauppatori) | joukkoliikenne.kuopio.fi | Every hour on weekdays | ||
 Taxi | Savon Taksidata | Airport Taxi | Kuopio | www.savontaksidata.fi | According to flight schedules | ||
See also
References
- ↑ "EFKU Kuopio" (PDF). AIP Suomi / Finland. Finavia. 30 June 2011. pp. EFKU AD 2.1, 1–14. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
- 1 2 "Finavia's Air Traffic Statistics 2010" (PDF). Vantaa: Finavia. pp. 7, 9. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
- ↑ "Lentoasemista vain neljännes kannattavia". YLE Uutiset (in Finnish). Yleisradio Oy. 23 September 2007. Retrieved 23 September 2007.
- ↑ http://airlineroute.net/2014/12/01/pf-ovd-w14/
- ↑ "Aircraft accident Douglas C-47A-1-DK DO-10 Kuopio Airport (KUO)". Aviation Safety Network. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
External links
Media related to Kuopio Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Kuopio Airport – Official website
- AIP Finland – Kuopio Airport
- Current weather for EFKU at NOAA/NWS
- Airport information for EFKU at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
- Airport information for KUO at Great Circle Mapper.
- Accident history for KUO at Aviation Safety Network