The area of Malmi Airport has been proposed to be protected as a whole under the Building Heritage Act. The matter was initiated in October 2015, following the guidelines for Built Cultural Environments of National Significance (RKY 2009). After complicated phases, the matter progressed to be assessed by the Supreme Administrative Court.
Today, on December 7, 2022, the Supreme Court has announced a decision according to which the application for leave to appeal will not be taken up for consideration. No justification for the decision is given. The decision may become a significant advance decision in the processing of the protection of RKY areas. Malmi Airport is a nationally and internationally exceptionally important heritage site that would have deserved a more thorough treatment.
The protection proposal was made by the Friends of Malmi Airport Association (FoMA).
The chairman of the association, Mr. Timo Hyvönen, is surprised by the decision:
“The matter has been discussed several times at the Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY) and the Ministry of the Environment. Especially the completely opposite interpretations in the two different decisions of the Ministry of the Environment are confusing: how can the law be interpreted in such different ways under two different ministers?”
During the time of Minister Tiilikainen (Center Party), the building heritage experts who evaluated the matter at the Ministry of the Environment returned the matter to ELY for processing as incorrectly prepared, while during the time of Minister Mikkonen (Green Alliance), the legal counsel of the Ministry interpreted the preparation to be correct on the very same grounds.
“The ELY Center has justified its decision based on a different law than the protection decision was based on. The Supreme Court has not justified its decision in any way. We are now investigating the effects of the decision and at the same time we are continuing other ongoing measures to save the airport, trying to influence the ongoing zoning. Malmi Airport is the pearl of Helsinki, but also a national matter both in terms of history and security of supply.”
Mr. Hyvönen points out that the situation of the airport is open.
“Numerous administrative complaints are in the process related to zoning, land lease and construction. The Supreme Administrative Court’s earlier decision regarding the general plan is currently being processed by the European Court of Human Rights, because no justification for the Court’s decision, reached by a 2-against-1 vote against the rapporteur’s position, was given to FoMA at that time either”, says Hyvönen.
“If the protection of the area is not realized as promised in the zoning plan, a renewal of this protection proposal may be necessary”, he summarizes.
Malmi Airport is still officially an airport with an operating license held by the Malmi Airfield Association. Friends of Malmi Airport Association continues its work to develop and preserve Malmi Airport.