Sources: EstonianAIP[2] Statistics from Tallinn Airport Ltd.[3]
Tallinn Airport (IATA:TLL,ICAO:EETN) is the largestinternational airport inEstonia. The airport is also officially calledLennart Meri Tallinn Airport (Estonian:Lennart Meri Tallinna lennujaam) after the former president of EstoniaLennart Meri.[4]
The airport is located 2.7nautical miles (5.0 km; 3.1 mi) southeast of the city centre of Estonian capitalTallinn,[2] on the eastern shore ofLake Ülemiste. It was previously known until 2009 asTallinn Ülemiste Airport. The airport has a single asphalt/concreterunway, 08/26, that is 3,480 m × 45 m (11,417 ft × 148 ft) and large enough to handle wide-bodied aircraft such as theBoeing 747, sixtaxiways and seventeenterminal gates.[5]
Prior to the establishment of the present airport in Ülemiste area,Lasnamäe Airfield was the primary airport of Tallinn, serving as a base forAeronaut airline. After Aeronaut went bankrupt in 1928, air service was continued byDeruluft, which usedNehatu instead, 12 km (7.5 mi) from the centre of Tallinn. The first seaplane harbour on the shores ofLake Ülemiste was built 1928 to 1929 in order to serve Finnishseaplanes. The use of this harbour ended inWorld War II. On 26 March 1929Riigikogu passed an expropriation act in order to establish a public airport. 10 ha (25 acres) of land was expropriated from Dvigatel joint-stock company and another 22 ha (54 acres) was expropriated from descendants of Vagner. 10 millionsents were paid to land-owners as indemnity. Land leveling and renovation works took another 5 million sents.[6]
A floatplane version ofJu 52/3m (Kaleva OH-ALL) ofAero O/Y by the lakeside ramp of Tallinn Airport (1936)
The building of Tallinn Airport started on 16 November 1931, and the first test landing was commenced by captain Reissar pilotingEstonian Air ForceAvro 594 Avian, tail number 120.[7] The airport was opened officially on 20 September 1936,[1] although it had been operational a good while before the official opening -LOT Polish Airlines, which commenced its first passenger flight from Tallinn on 18 August 1932 withFokker F.VIIb/3m from Lasnamäe Airfield,[8][9][10] later relocated the flights to Tallinn Airport and in 1935 the airport had 6 arrivals and departures on average every day. In April 1935 a ramp for seaplanes was built on a shore of Lake Ülemiste, together with a small arch bridge and a customs office, which allowed seaplanes to be relocated from a sea port. The same year the airport administration building was erected, which also served initially as a waiting place for travellers. The total cost of the whole airport project, including the cost of building flight hangars, was 25 million sents.[6][11]
As the very first runways had soft surface, it made them unavailable for takeoffs and landings during spring and autumn seasons. Therefore, only seaplanes stationed at Lake Ülemiste were able to carry out flights, and during winter months, it was possible to use the frozen surface of the lake as a runway for small airplanes. The concrete paved runways of the first stage, inaugurated together with the opening of the airport, were about 40 metres (130 ft) wide and 300 metres (980 ft) long. As they were arranged in a form of a triangle,[12] they allowed takeoffs and landings in six directions. These were the first concrete-paved runway in Estonia, it was needed some 5,396 cubic metres (190,600 cu ft) of stone, 4,100 cubic metres (144,800 cu ft) ofconstruction aggregate and 137 t (135 long tons; 151 short tons) of cement to construct them.
In addition, 3 km (1.9 mi) of pipeworks was laid for drainage purposes.[7] BeforeWorld War II, Tallinn Airport had regular connections to abroad by at leastAerotransport (now part of theSAS Group),[6]Deutsche Luft Hansa, LOT and the Finnish companyAero (nowFinnair). On 5 April 1937 theHelsinki-Tallinn-Warsaw-Jerusalem route was inaugurated by Mr. Bobkowski, the assistant of the Polish Minister of Transport. The length of the route was 3,187-kilometre (1,721 nmi) and the journey time was 34 hours.[13] Passengers and cargo numbers grew quickly, from 4,100 passengers and 6,730 kg (14,837 lb) of cargo in 1933 to 11,892 passengers and 14,726 kg (32,465 lb) of cargo in 1937.[14] Preparation and design works for a new passenger terminal started in 1938. 14 various projects were submitted for the architectural contest of the new terminal building, with the one from the architect Artur Jürvetson winning the contest in February the same year. The construction costs were estimated at 300 thousandEstonian kroons. The first airplane of then the flag carrier of Estonia, AGO, arrived at Tallinn Airport on 5 October 1939, flying the routeDessau -Königsberg - Tallinn.[8]
As Estonia was occupied by Soviet Union, on 22 July 1940 the order was made by Soviet occupation authorities to transfer the airport toSoviet Air Forces. All aircraft, which were at the airport at that time, including interned PolishLockheed 14, twoJunkers Ju 52 of AGO andPTO-4 trainer aircraft of Estonian Airclub, were relocated to Lasnamäe Airfield.
During theGerman occupation, regular international connections were announced on 16 October and already restored on 15 November 1941, when Deutsche Lufthansa and Aero O/Y started the route Helsinki-Tallinn-Riga-Königsberg-Berlin.[15][16] From 1942 to 1944Sonderstaffel Buschmann was based at Tallinn Airport.[7]
The construction of the new passenger terminal, which was put on hold due to war, resumed. The building, which was redesigned in accordance with theStalinist architecture, was finished in 1954 and commissioned on 7 November 1955. Regular flights with jet aircraft began on 2 October 1962 with a maiden passenger flight fromMoscow with aTu-124, which was the latest Soviet airliner.[17] As the terminal built in 1954 became obsolete and unable to cope with growing airport traffic, the construction of the current terminal building began in 1976 and the terminal was opened in 1980, prior to the1980 Summer Olympics sailing event, which was held in the city. The architect of the new terminal was Mihhail Piskov, who took visual inspiration from traditional Estonian housebarns, and the interior designer was Maile Grünberg.[18] The runway was also lengthened then. The first foreign airline since World War II to operate regular flights from Tallinn wasSAS, whose first flight to the airport took place on 25 November 1989.[19]
AUSAFC-5A Galaxy unloads at Tallinn Airport during Exercise Baltic Challenge '97.
The construction works of the first cargo terminal (Cargo 1), located in the middle of future cargo area on the north side of the airport, were carried out from September 1997 until March 1998.[20] The passenger terminal building was completely modernised in 1999, increasing its capacity to 1.4 million passengers per year,[6] and after that greatly expanded in 2008. The growing demand for extra space for cargo operations, created a situation where there was a need for cargo terminal expansion, Cargo 2.[20] In order to meet the growing demand for new cargo facilities at Tallinn Airport, the number of cargo terminals was later expanded to four. In the year 2012, a new aircraft maintenance hangar was opened and the number of passengers passed two million mark the first time in the history of the airport. On 11 January 2013, the airport was accepted intoAirport Carbon Accreditation emission managing and reduction programme byACI.[21] The year 2013 saw the introduction of an automatic border control system and athestart of construction of a new business aviation hangar complex.[citation needed]
The airport underwent a large expansion project between January 2006 and September 2008. The existing terminal was expanded by 35,000 m2 (376,700 sq ft) and the architects of the project were Jean Marie Bonnard, Pia Tasa and Inge Sirkel-Suviste.[22] The terminal was expanded in three directions, resulting in 18 new gates, separate lounges forSchengen and non-Schengen passengers, 10 new check-in desks and a new restaurant and cafes. Due to the gallery that connects all the gates and was constructed in the middle of the terminal building the terminal became T-shaped. The projecting terminal section enables a two-level traffic for international passengers. The renewed terminal has nine passenger bridges. The extensions constructed at the ends of the terminal building became additional rooms for registering for the flights and for delivering arriving luggage.[23] Outside the terminal, the apron was refurbished and expanded and a new taxiway was added. The new terminal allows the airport to handle twice as many passengers as it could handle before. The renovated terminal received the award "Concrete Building of the Year 2008" by the Estonian Concrete Association.[22]
After the death of formerpresident of EstoniaLennart Meri on 14 March 2006, journalist Argo Ideon fromEesti Ekspress proposed to honour the president's memory by naming Tallinn Airport after him – "Tallinna Lennart Meri Rahvusvaheline Lennujaam" (Lennart Meri International Airport), drawing parallels withJohn F. Kennedy International Airport,Charles de Gaulle Airport,Sabiha Gökçen International Airport etc.[24] Ideon's article also mentioned the fact that Meri himself had shown concern for the condition of the thenSoviet-era construction (in one memorable case Meri, having arrived fromJapan, led the group of journalists that were expecting him, to the airport'stoilets to do the interview there, in order to point out the shoddy condition of the facilities[25]).
The name change was discussed at a board meeting on 29 March 2006,[26] and on the opening of the new terminal on 19 September 2008, Prime MinisterAndrus Ansip officially announced the renaming would take place in March 2009[27]
In 2011 a new project of cruise turnarounds was launched in cooperation withTallinn Passenger Port and Happy Cruises. More than 7,000 Spanish passengers travelled that year on charter flights to and from Tallinn Airport.[28] As the airport is located only 5 km (3.1 mi) from the city center cruise quay, transfer time from airport to cruise ship is under an hour.[29]
In 2015, cruise tourists were attended to by four airlines –Iberia,Iberia Express,Wamos Air, andVueling. Some 5,000 passengers were expected during three turnarounds forPullmantur Cruises cruise line.[33] Tallinn Airport served 9,369 cruise turnaround passengers in 2015. No cruise turnarounds are expected in summer 2016 due to construction works, but the airport plans to continue them in 2017.[34]
On 7 November 2015,Estonian Air was liquidated following an adverse decision by the European Commission.[35] This meant a significant temporary loss of business for the airport, as Estonian Air had been the largest carrier, accounting for one third of all capacity in 2014.[36]
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2022)
According to Erik Sakkov, board member of Tallinn Airport, the future plans include expanding the runway by 600–700 metres (1,970–2,300 ft) to serve regular long-haul flights,[37] also building of a brand-new taxiway, new storage facilities, a new point-to-point terminal, and expansion of the existing passenger terminal, so it can serve arriving and departing passengers on two different levels.[38] On 21 February 2013, theenvironmental impact assessment of the airport development project started. The project includes the runway lengthening by 720 metres (2,360 ft), installation of theILS Category II equipment, also lengthening of the existing northern taxiway till the end of the expanded runway, constructing of a whole new taxiway and a new apron area on the southern side of the airport, installation of the new perimeter security systems and constructing of an engine test facility and dedicated snow storage and de-icing areas.[39] Among other benefits the extension would enable planes to fly higher above the city of Tallinn by moving threshold of the runway further from Lake Ülemiste, thus reducing noise level.
The public discussion of the runway extension environmental effects evaluation report took place on 16 December 2013 and the construction work to extend the runway has begun on 1 May 2016. The length of the renovated runway is 3480 meters, the construction contract was concluded withLemminkäinen Eesti. On 17 November 2016 the airport administration reported, that the runway expansion works are completed, thus the runway became the longest one in the Baltic states.[40] The runway and the main taxiway were extended to the east and a new system of navigation lights was installed. In the summer and autumn of 2016 the construction work caused restrictions on nighttime flight operations but had no impact on scheduled operations. The soil of the safety area around the extended runway was enforced to reduce potential risks to aircraft in the event of runway overrun or excursion. In the course of the expansion work in 2016 some 45,000 tons of asphalt and 4,000 m3 of concrete were laid down, also 60 kilometers of new duct access was built and 100 kilometers of new cables and 400 new navigation lights installed, as well as 10 kilometers of new rainwater removal infrastructure built. The expansion of the airstrip increased the airport's safety area by 41 hectares and five kilometers of new service roads were built.[41] The whole expansion works must be completed by the end of 2017.[42][43][44]
Tallinn Airport's runway 08/26
On 12 June 2013 the City Administration of Tallinn approved a detailed planning for a 0.91 ha land plot, on which a new 4,430 m2 (47,680 sq ft) maintenance hangar is going to be built.[45][46] Total five-year investment plan amounts of more than 100 million euros.[47] The airport is investing €126 million during the 2015–2021 period. The most important project is the reconstruction of the runway infrastructure at cost of €75 million.[48] Additional investment of €2.5 million would be made in flight terminal in order to change its layout and improve the terminal's security, capacity and VIP area.[49] Аmulti-storey car park for 1,200 vehicles and 150 taxis[34][50] would be built due to the consistently increasing need for parking spots around the airport. Work on the task and procurement conditions of the parking structure began in 2014. It will be located in front of the passenger terminal and should be completed in 2017 according to current plans.[48] On 10 April 2019, Tallinn Airport announced plans to expand the airport terminal and build an airport city by 2035. The expanded terminal is planned to serve 6 to 8 million passengers per year with an expanded area of 85 000 m2 and 26 gates instead of 13.[51]
Tallinn Airport aims forcarbon neutrality by 2030.Solar farms at five locations are expected to generate 40% of its electricity needs this year. Plans are also in place to switch togreen electricity from the grid by 2027 and to producegreen hydrogen from surplus solar energy.[52]
As the airport's current facilities could not serve more than 2.5 million passengers per year[53] and the number of passengers is rapidly growing (38.2% in year 2011[54]), a new terminal dedicated to low-cost airlines is planned to be built. On 12 April 2012 Tallinn Airport announced, that it will build next year a new terminal with five stands for low-cost airlines, which will be easily removable and extendable.[53][55] The new terminal would be intended for low-cost airlines such asRyanair,Easyjet andNorwegian that do not want to pay that much to the airport and do not need many airport services. The new terminal is intended for the service of one million passengers and the space previously occupied by low-cost airlines would pass into the disposition ofNordica and other traditional airlines.[53]
There is one passenger terminal and four cargo terminals at the airport. These are located to the right of Runway 08's threshold, with Runway 26 being connected to the terminal segment by a parallel taxiway as long as the runway.
Estonian EXPO Center year-round permanent exhibition is located near the Gate 3, acting as a live advertising space where promotion representatives introduce the companies taking part in the exhibition[56] and help finding cooperation partners in particular fields of business. The center was opened on 22 July 2010.[57]VKG has opened anoil shale themed exposition at Gate 4 on 9 January 2013, showing the history and development of Estonianoil shale industry.[58] The Estonian Tourist Board has opened a brand new "Visit Estonia" themed exposition at Gate 5 on 2 October 2013. The gate is divided into three parts: a children's territory with aLotte-themed playhouse, an interactive, informative waiting area decorated with Estonian national patterns and abridge from the gate to the airplane that introduces travellers to Estonian nature.[59]
Alending library was opened on 9 May 2013 in a special area by Gate 1. All books were donated by public including Estonian presidentToomas Hendrik Ilves and theFirst Lady of EstoniaEvelin Ilves. The library has books in ten different languages, the majority being in Estonian, Russian and English. There will also be a selection ofchildren's books.[60][61] On 16 August 2013 Tallinn Airport unveiled a gallery and started exhibiting artists' work in the Passenger Terminal. The gallery of rotating exhibitions on the 1st floor of the Passenger Terminal is open to all arriving and departing passengers as well as those seeing them off or meeting them.[62]
On 1 September 2013, the airport opened an automatic border control system, that was meant to accelerate procedures for passengers travelling out of the Schengen area. The fully automated border crossing system consists of two automated gates and six registering kiosks.[63][64]
Additional Tallinn Airport GH check-in terminal is located at theRadisson Blu Hotel Tallinn. Travellers can check in online and print boarding cards directly from the lobby. The system allows to check in 24 hours before departure and choose own specific seat.[66]
The museum is located in a small building near the terminal, also a relatively large area nearby will be transformed intoopen-air exhibition. Two ancient cult stones, which it is necessary to move during the expansion of the runway, will be transferred to that exhibition. The whole museum plot will be separated from the airfield. The museum will have a direct access fromE263 motorway (shares the same route withEstonian main road 2).[67] Additionally, a platform with a view onto the runway will be constructed, giving good possibilities foraircraft spotting. The activity centre opened in 2016.[48]
On 20 March 2013 the airport authorities announced a public procurement for constructing a new hangar complex.The cornerstone of the new complex was laid on 27 September 2013.[68] It has a surface area of 5,230 m2 (56,300 sq ft), is located right next to the existing General Aviation Terminal and will be servicing aircraft within a distance of up to 3,000 kilometers from Tallinn. The complex is intended for accommodating a total of nine planes, eight of them are mid-sizebusiness jets and one aircraft the size of a large corporate aircraft. It consists of five hangars: the Hangar 1 for the large aircraft (such asBoeing 737,Airbus A318 orAirbus A319), hangars 2 to 5 are intended for smaller business jets (Bombardier Challenger 605,Learjet 60). The whole complex was opened on 15 April 2014[69] and its operator is Panaviatic, which is going to expand its business jet operations from Tallinn Airport.[70] Apart from providing hangarage for business jets, the new complex also offersMRO services by Panaviatic's subsidiary AS Panaviatic Maintenance.[71] The total investment was close to 5 million euros and the whole complex is the largest in the Baltic states.[69]
The main maintenance hangar ofMagnetic MRO, former Air Maintenance Estonia, at Tallinn Airport (2014)
Magnetic MRO has its facilities and headquarters on the airport property. On 6 September 2012 the company opened a new 5,000 m2 (53,820 sq ft) column-free three-bay hangar for Base Maintenance works of narrow-body aircraft, such asBoeing 737 andAirbus A320. The company has in total three main Base Maintenance lines, and two additional lines for lighter checks and modification works.[72] With the addition of the new hangar, the maximum annual line maintenance capacity of the company boosted to 72 aircraft from the present 24. Magnetic MRO said the new hangar will allow it carry out a planned doubling of its workforce.[73] On 21 December 2015 Magnetic MRO announced a launch of the second painting hangar, which will be built in co-operation with Tallinn Airport, in response to growing demand for painting services. The new 2,000 m2 (21,530 sq ft) hangar with further expansion possibilities will be capable of housing aircraft in size up toBoeing 737 MAX 9 andAirbus A321neo, as well as regional aircraft, and according to the agreement, the hangar is planned to be finalized and ready for use by 1 June 2017.[74]
Tallinn Airport has 4 cargo terminals with total warehouse space of ca 11,600 m2.[75] The size of warehouse in Cargo 1 is 3601 m2 and 2066 m2 are dedicated for the office area. Cargo terminal is operated by different operators (including integrators) and Tallinn Airport Ltd. only acts as a lessor. The size of Cargo 2 warehouse is 1255 m2 and 758 m2 are dedicated for office space. Cargo 2 is operated byTNT Express Worldwide.[20] Other logistics operators includeDHL,UPS andFedEx.
Total passengers using the airport has increased on average by 14.2% annually since 1998. On 16 November 2012 Tallinn Airport has reached two million passenger landmark for the first time in its history.[123] Passenger data reflects international and domestic flights combined, share of domestic flights compared to international flights was marginal. Passenger and cargo numbers exclude direct transit.[124]
The best connection between downtown Tallinn and the airport is provided by tramline "4". The tram network extension to the airport terminal was opened on 1 September 2017.[139] Trams mostly go with 6-minute intervals, the journey from downtown to the airport (and vice versa) takes 18–19 minutes. Trams run through the 150-metre long Ülemiste tram tunnel beneath the Tallinn-Narva railway.[140] Like all public transportation in Tallinn, the tram is free to the city's residents.
In 2023, the tram service was suspended due to construction ofRail Baltica terminal. The service will be unavailable until the end of 2025.[141]
The line "2" offers a connection to Tallinn downtown andTallinn Baltic Station, and, on the other way,Mõigu subdistrict (located 1–2 km southeast from the airport) .[142] The line "2" buses go mostly with 15-20 minute intervals.
The line "15" temporarily (until the reopening of tram service) provides connections to downtown and Sõjamäe industrial area.
The nearest station isÜlemiste train station, which lies about 800 metres from the airport, nearÜlemiste Keskus. It provides access toregional rail andcommuter rail lines ofElron. The station and Tallinn Airport are connected through the bus lines "49" and "65" and the tram line "4".
The airport is accessed by theE263 expressway (which shares the same route with the Estonian national roadT2). TheE20 expressway (which follows theT1) intersects with the E263 expressway 900 metres (3,000 ft) away from the airport towards the city centre. TheE67 expressway (Via Baltica, follows the Estonian national roadT4) is easily accessible via the 3.8-kilometre-long (2.4 mi)dual carriageway Järvevana Road, which provides a direct connection with E263 at the intersection.
On 6 September 1938 at 5 p.m. EET, aWarsaw Aero ClubRWD-10, piloted byZbigniew Oleński [pl], crashed into Lake Ülemiste during anaerobatic demonstration. The crash was caused by an error by the pilot, who misestimated the altitude during low-flight manoeuvres, and by muggy weather, which complicated the detection of a water surface. The depth of the crash site was only about 1 metre, which helped to absorb the shock but was too shallow for the pilot to drown. The pilot survived with head injuries. The plane's propeller and landing gear was damaged in the crash, but the plane was recovered and repaired by the staff of the seaplane terminal.[147][148]
On 8 January 1954, anAeroflotLisunov Li-2 flying from Tallinn toLeningrad-Shosseynaya Airport was hijacked by a man in a Soviet Air Force uniform and a woman. Both had guns and the woman had a knife. The flight engineer attempted to overpower the hijackers, but was killed by gunfire. Other crew members did succeed in overpowering the two. The aircraft turned back to Tallinn.[149]
In January 1966, anIlyushin Il-14 flying fromKuressaare to Tallinn, made a landing on ice of Lake Ülemiste short of the runway 08 at its destination in nearly zero-visibility conditions. The incident was caused by an error of the air traffic controller, who misestimated the plane's altitude. The frontal landing gear was damaged during the unexpected landing, but the plane was otherwise intact. It was towed the same day to the airport. No injuries were reported, the passengers walked to the terminal across the frozen lake.[148]
On 16 November 1990, anAeroflotTupolev Tu-134 flying from Tallinn toMoscow was hijacked during a domestic flight by a hijacker who demanded to be taken to Sweden. The aircraft with 64 passengers aboard returned and landed at Tallinn Airport. Upon landing, the hijacker was arrested by Soviet authorities. No casualties were reported.[150]
On 18 September 1991 at 14:30 EEST (11:30UTC), aEuro-FliteDassaultFalcon 20 business jet, carrying 2 crew and 10 passengers, landed on the runway of Tallinn Airport with its right main gear failed to lock in its extended position. The captain used ailerons and wheel brakes to hold the aircraft on the runway as far as possible until most speed was lost. Thereafter the aircraft came down smoothly on its right wing-tip while continuing to move turning to the right. At the end of the landing run the aircraft left the runway and stopped about 8 m outside the runway edge. There was no fire. The aircraft involved was OH-FFA and it got substantial damage, but was later repaired. The flight had departed fromHelsinki Airport with Tallinn as its destination. No injuries were reported.[151]
On 20 February 1993Aeroflot Flight 2134, aTupolev Tu-134 flying fromTyumen toSt. Petersburg, was hijacked during a domestic flight by a hijacker who demanded to be taken to the United States. As there were not enough fuel, he initially demanded to be taken to Helsinki, but agreed to land in Tallinn Airport. After the landing and five and half hours of negotiations 30 passengers were released. The plane then departed and next landed toStockholm Arlanda Airport, where the hijacker, who was accompanied by his wife and child, peacefully surrendered to Swedish authorities.[152]
On 24 November 1994 aKomiaviaTupolev Tu-134 flying fromSyktyvkar Airport toPulkovo Airport was hijacked by group of three hijackers, who demanded to be taken to Denmark. They surrendered after landing in Tallinn Airport and several hours of negotiations.[153]
On 10 February 2003 anEnimexAntonovAn-28 crashed while heading toHelsinki Airport during a regular cargo flight. The aircraft banked right during climb and crashed nose down into some trees shortly after takeoff, 300 metres from Tallinn Airport. The aircraft involved was ES-NOY. The captain and first officer were killed during the crash, while a flight engineer was injured.[154][155]
On 27 March 2006 anAirestLet L-410UVP-E20C caught fire while standing in Tallinn Airport. The aircraft involved was ES-LLG, it received substantial damage, but was later repaired. No injuries were reported.[156]
On 18 March 2010 anExinAntonovAn-26 aircraft made an emergency landing on the frozenLake Ülemiste, close to Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport. Initial reports indicated problems with the landing gear and one of the engines.[157] The flight was operated byExin on behalf of DHL. The aircraft involved was SP-FDO and the flight had departed fromHelsinki Airport. Two of the six crew members were injured.[158] The wrecked plane was later towed to the parking position near the main taxiway and used for rescue trainings until 5 June 2015, when it was partly disassembled and transferred to thesearch and rescue school inVäike-Maarja.[159] The airport plans to buy another used plane to continue trainings on site.[160]
On 25 August 2010 anExinAntonovAn-26 aircraft made an emergency landing on the runway of Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport. Initial reports indicated problems with the landing gear during takeoff. The flight was operated byExin on behalf of DHL. The aircraft involved was SP-FDP and the flight was scheduled to fly toHelsinki Airport. None of the four crew members were injured.[161]
On 8 February 2013 anULS Airlines CargoAirbus A300B4 aircraft skidded off the taxiway during taxiing following a normal landing. All flight operations were cancelled for two and a half hours, except those of planes withshortened takeoff and landing capability, which do not require the whole length of the runway and were cleared for takeoff. Planes en route to Tallinn were redirected to Helsinki and Riga.[162] The aircraft involved was TC-KZV and the flight had departed fromIstanbul–Sabiha Gökçen Airport.[163] No injuries were reported.[164]
On 14 August 2014 anEstonian AirBombardierCRJ900NG aircraft made an emergency landing on the runway of Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport. The plane, carrying 86 people, was forced to land at Tallinn Airport shortly after takeoff because of left hand main gear tyre was blown on takeoff at 18:10. After airport crews scoured the runway and found tire debris, the pilots were alerted. After burning off most of its fuel, the plane touched down without incident in Tallinn at around 20:30.[165] The aircraft involved was ES-ACC and the flight was scheduled to fly toAmsterdam Airport Schiphol. No injuries were reported.[166]
On 11 July 2015 at 5:12 a.m. EEST (02:12UTC) anAviastar-TUTupolev Tu-204 aircraft arriving fromNovosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport blew two of its right hand main gear tyres after landing. No damage to the runway or injuries were reported. The plane was towed to a parking position for repairs.[167]
On 28 February 2018 aSmartlynx Airlines Airbus A320-214 made an emergency landing 150 meters from the runway during atouch-and-go landing exercise. After a successful runway approach, the aircraft was unable to regain altitude and collided with the runway. During the collision, the aircraft's engines touched the runway, and the covering flaps of the aircraft's main landing gear fell apart. The aircraft managed to regain altitude after the collision and turn back to make a landing, but after the turn both engines stopped. The pilot made an emergency landing about 150 meters from the runway, stopping at about 15 meters south of the runway. All of the aircraft's tires broke in the course of the training. The instructor and one of the students sustained mild injuries as a result of the accident.[168]
On 4 June 2019 aNordicaBombardierCRJ900NG aircraft made an emergency landing on the runway of Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport. The plane, carrying 31 passengers and five crew members, landed at Tallinn Airport at 18:07 with one of its tyres blown. All flight operations at the airport were cancelled until 18:38. According to the spokesperson of Nordica, the plane tyre become damaged during a takeoff inKyiv. The aircraft involved was ES-ACC and the flight had departed fromBoryspil International Airport. No injuries were reported.[169][170]
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38.2% in year 2011[54]), a new terminal dedicated to low-cost airlines is planned to be built. On 12 April 2012 Tallinn Airport announced, that it will build next year a new terminal with five stands for low-cost airlines, which will be easily removable and extendable.[53][55] The new terminal would be intended for low-cost airlines such asRyanair,Easyjet andNorwegian that do not want to pay that much to the airport and do not need many airport services. The new terminal is intended for the service of one million passengers and the space previously occupied by low-cost airlines would pass into the disposition ofNordica and other traditional airlines.[53]
Riga, Latvia
Helsinki, Finland
Frankfurt, Germany
Stockholm–Arlanda, Sweden
Warsaw–Chopin, Poland
Antalya, Turkey
London, United Kingdom[a]
Milan, Italy[b]
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Oslo, Norway
Media related toTallinn Airport at Wikimedia Commons
