Press release 15 August 2016
Friends of Malmi Airport
LEX MALMI Citizens’ Initiative collecting signatures at record pace – more than 8000 supporters in four days
A citizens’ bill to protect the original use of Malmi Airport’s area has been initiated. The law would state that Helsinki-Malmi Airport is preserved as a whole, making possible both commercial and non-commercial civil aviation. It would also ensure the possibility to use the site for government and military aviation. The cultural environment values and airspace are also proposed to be covered by the law.
The Citizens’ Initiative was formulated by more than 20 private citizens from various parts of Finland. They were brought together by a deep concern about the preservation of Malmi’s values and meaning.
“Continued activity of Malmi Airport is of decisive importance to the aviation trade and cultural history of the whole nation. As a bridgehead to the Finnish capital, Malmi Airport also improves the operational preconditions of businesses in other parts of Finland”, says one of the bill’s initiators, Mr. Juha Krapinoja from Helsinki.
Mr. Kim Korkkula from Rovaniemi was involved in starting the initiative. “Making decisions about the Airport’s fate is a national level matter. The Airport’s quality clearly transcends the municipal level. The support of the majority of Finns is obvious, and I hope that every citizen who is concerned about the future of Finnish aviation and our country’s international cultural reputation shows it by signing the initiative at the Ministry of Justice’s initiative site kansalaisaloite.fi.”
Mikko Saarisalo from Kirkkonummi emphasizes the economical meaning of the matter. “Business life needs flexible connections from the provinces to the capital region and the rest of the world. Aviation is the fastest proliferating form of transportation in the world. Aircraft technology is advancing to electric motors in the next 10-15 years. Malmi Airport is needed in sparsely populated Finland for flexible, smart travel and as a feeder airport.”
The Friends of Malmi Airport (FoMA) considers the initiative’s message to the government to be strong.
“The Citizens’ Initiative is thorough and covers well all the valuable aspects of the Airport’s activities. Citizens all around Finland have become active in the matter of Malmi Airport. The threat of its closure is perceived as oppressive, and the matter is seen to belong to the whole nation”, says Mr. Timo Hyvönen, FoMA’s chairman.
The Citizens’ Initiative must collect a minimum of 50.000 signatures in order to be processed by the Finnish Parliament. All adult Finnish citizens can sign the Initiative electronically at https://www.kansalaisaloite.fi/fi/aloite/2106.
Links:
The Citizens’ Initiative and the proposed law (in Finnish): https://www.kansalaisaloite.fi/fi/aloite/2106
Eurocontrol forecast of aviation growth 2016-2022:
http://www.eurocontrol.int/sites/default/files/content/documents/official-documents/forecasts/seven-year-flights-service-units-forecast-2016-2022-Feb2016.pdf
Electric aircraft in feeder traffic (in Finnish):
http://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/talous_uutiset/liikenne/sadan-matkustajan-sahkolentokone-liikenteeseen-2030-airbus-ja-siemens-kehittavat-6540800
A general view of Malmi Airport’s situation, Friends of Malmi Airport:
http://www.malmiairport.fi/en
More information:
LEX MALMI Citizens’ Initiative
Kim Korkkula, +358 400 214181, kim.korkkula@gmail.com
Juha Krapinoja, +358 50 62639, juha.krapinoja@gmail.com
Mikko Saarisalo, +358 50 4860145, mikko.saarisalo@gmail.com
Friends of Malmi Airport
Timo Hyvönen, +358 50 3748371, puheenjohtaja@malmiairport.fi