Finavia has secured up to €5.6 million in EU funding to accelerate a major apron-electrification project at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, the operator announced on 21 November. The grant will cover roughly 30 % of an €18.75 million investment aimed at supplying parked aircraft with fixed ground-power units (GPU) and pre-conditioned air by 2028 – two years before an EU deadline that makes such facilities mandatory at large airports.
The project is central to Finavia’s plan to decarbonise scope-3 emissions after achieving net-zero in its own operations in 2024. By providing clean shore power at all passenger boarding bridge stands, airlines can shut down auxiliary power units, cutting CO₂, NOx and particulates while reducing noise on the ramp. Finavia infrastructure chief Jani Jolkkonen described the scheme as “one of the company’s most significant environmental investments of recent years.”
![EU Grants €5.6 Million to Electrify Helsinki-Vantaa Aprons]()
Electrification will be paired with on-site renewable-energy production and storage to manage peak loads. The project also positions Helsinki to accommodate the next generation of hybrid-electric equipment and supports ground-handling agents’ transition to battery-powered GPUs and belt-loaders.
For mobility teams the upgrade means quieter turn-arounds and lower exposure to fumes for staff travellers who often work on laptops at the gate. Strategically, Finavia’s proactive compliance could influence airline scheduling decisions as carriers look to meet their own sustainability targets and avoid future apron surcharges elsewhere.
Corporations with ESG commitments may increasingly favour airports that can evidence concrete emissions reductions along the entire travel chain – from kerosene in the sky to electricity on the stand.
The project is central to Finavia’s plan to decarbonise scope-3 emissions after achieving net-zero in its own operations in 2024. By providing clean shore power at all passenger boarding bridge stands, airlines can shut down auxiliary power units, cutting CO₂, NOx and particulates while reducing noise on the ramp. Finavia infrastructure chief Jani Jolkkonen described the scheme as “one of the company’s most significant environmental investments of recent years.”
Electrification will be paired with on-site renewable-energy production and storage to manage peak loads. The project also positions Helsinki to accommodate the next generation of hybrid-electric equipment and supports ground-handling agents’ transition to battery-powered GPUs and belt-loaders.
For mobility teams the upgrade means quieter turn-arounds and lower exposure to fumes for staff travellers who often work on laptops at the gate. Strategically, Finavia’s proactive compliance could influence airline scheduling decisions as carriers look to meet their own sustainability targets and avoid future apron surcharges elsewhere.
Corporations with ESG commitments may increasingly favour airports that can evidence concrete emissions reductions along the entire travel chain – from kerosene in the sky to electricity on the stand.
