Oulu Airport (IATA: OUL, ICAO: EFOU; Finnish: Oulun lentoasema, Swedish: Uleåborgs flygplats) is located in Oulu, Finland, 5.7 NM (10.6 km; 6.6 mi) south-west[2] of the city centre. The airport is the third busiest airport in Finland after Helsinki-Vantaa and Rovaniemi airport, as measured by the number of passengers and landings. There are around 10 daily flights to Helsinki. Oulu Airport is also extensively used by the Finnish Air Force for training purposes and the managing body of the airport is Finavia. Oulu Airport has offered free wireless network access for passengers since May 2007.[3]
History
Old terminal and ATC building in 1958DC-3 aircraft at the airport
The construction of the airport runways in Oulunsalo began in 1949 and was completed in 1953 after the previous airport in Oritkari became too outdated for modern aircraft.[4] In 1953 the airport only consisted of gravel runways and it wasn't until 1958 that the terminal and ATC building were built and the runways were paved. Finnair back then "Aero" operated routes from the airport with DC-3 aircraft and started flights with Sud Aviation Caravelle jets from Oulu in 1964. The current terminal building was built to replace the old one in 1973 and expanded/renovated in 2002 and 2011 with the old one being demolished in the fall of 2005. The second runway of the airport was removed in the early 2000s and the current ATC tower was built in 1998.
Facilities
Terminal
Oulu Airport air traffic control towerPassport control to the international departure areaWaiting area with a duty-free shop, cafes and a bar
The old terminal of the airport was demolished in 2005 for more apron space and a major extension of the main terminal was completed in September 2011.[5] Four new jetbridge gates (gates 13–16) were constructed and the main terminal was expanded by 4,300 square metres (46,000 sq ft), raising the capacity of the airport to 1.5 million passengers per year. The terminal has three cafes, one before security and two in the gate area which also has a bar "Oluthuone Toppila" and a duty-free shop. There's also a designated smoking area and a grand piano that can be played by visitors.[6]
Runway
Oulu Airport has one runway, 12/30, which is 2,501 m (8,205 ft) long and 60 m (197 ft) wide. Runway 12 is equipped with Category II Instrument landing system.[2] The runway was renewed in summer 2017.
Airlines and destinations
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Oulu Airport:
Finnair Flight 405 was hijacked from Oulu on September 30, 1978. The Hijacking was resolved without any injuries or fatalities and the hijacker, 37-year-old Aarno Lamminparras was arrested at his home in Oulu the next day after he had received his ransom demands. A Finnish movie The Hijack That Went South is based on the events of the hijacking by Lamminparras.[citation needed]
^ ab"EFOU Oulu"(PDF). AIP Suomi / Finland. Finavia. 30 June 2011. pp. EFOU AD 2.1, 1–12. Archived from the original(PDF) on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
