Finnish airport operator, Finavia, is investing €13.5 million in the promotion of tourism in Lapland through the renovation and expansion of Ivalo Airport, the northernmost airport in European Union, a company representative confirmed to The HUB in the run up to this year’s Routes Europe forum in Marseille, France.

The airport's traffic areas will also be renovated. The investment will be implemented in 2014 and 2015 and the terminal renovation and the traffic area improvement work will provide smoother access through the facility, while enabling an increase of traffic volume.

"There will be more space, and bottlenecks will be eliminated", said Joni Sundelin, senior vice president and Director of airport networks, Finavia. "We believe in the appeal that tourism in Lapland has. The airport must serve air passengers in a professional, cost-effective way that matches the demand."

Last year, more than 146,000 passengers passed through Ivalo Airport, and the terminal has been cramped, especially during peak periods. The volume of passengers increased slightly in comparison to the previous year, bucking a national trend as passenger volume at most other airports in Finland declined.