Helsinki-Tartu air service begins, carrying 63 passengers on 1st day

Helsinki-Tartu air service begins. Photo: Kristjan Teedema / Tartu Postimees

A newly opened flight route between Tartu and Helsinki on Sunday saw 34 people travel from Finland to Tartu and 29 passengers from the Estonian city to Vantaa with the first flight.

The first guests arriving at 2:35 p.m. were welcomed by accordionists, The Big Band Theory saxophone quartet, and folk dancers. Passengers on the plane were gifted with Tartu 2024 lemonade and chocolate. The flight departed back to Helsinki at 3 p.m. with 29 passengers.

«The presence of air traffic is very important for the development of Tartu and the whole South Estonia region,» Mayor of Tartu Urmas Klaas said. «The current flight schedule offers good opportunities for both vacationers and business travelers, and this year we are expecting culture enthusiasts to enjoy the rich program of the European Capital of Culture. I hope the opportunity to fly from Tartu will be used actively.»

Marketing director of Finnair Arunas Skuja said that the opening of the flight connection is significant at a time when Tartu is the European Capital of Culture, and just last week, Finnair celebrated the first flight that took place exactly one hundred years ago, on March 20, 1924, from Helsinki to Tallinn.

«We are pleased to return to Tartu and offer good flight connections to our extensive network worldwide for Tartu and South Estonia customers,» Skuja said.

There will be 12 flights per week between Tartu and Helsinki airports. Flights from Tartu depart at 6 a.m. in the morning and 3 p.m. in the afternoon. Flights from Helsinki to Tartu leave at 1:50 p.m. and 11:55 p.m. The flight duration is between 40-45 minutes, and the connection is operated with a 72-seat ATR-type aircraft.