Interview: Helsinki Airport CEO on Right-Sizing for the Future

During the CAPA World Aviation Summit in Helsinki, Skift enjoyed a little time on the side for an insightful conversation with Kari Savolainen, CEO of Finavia, the company that owns and operates Helsinki Airport. We discussed growth, right-sizing for competition, and the strong focus on the passenger experience of this northernmost gateway to Asia. What follows is an edited transcript. Skift: You're growing beyond your primary customer, Finnair, and attracting new airlines, like Qatar Airways. At the same time, you compete with Qatar's own mega-hub, the newly built Hamad International Airport, for transfer traffic, just as your top customer, Finnair, competes with Qatar on routes to Asia. Do you plan to grow to compete with the world's largest hubs? Savolainen: Our estimates of passenger growth per year are something like 5%. Out of that, 25% is only related to China. I think because there is growth in the industry there is room for both smaller and bigger players. Ev