The City of Helsinki has today announced that it has opened the gates to the airfield area of \u200b\u200bHelsinki-Malmi Airport.\u00a0The airport still enjoys official airport status.\u00a0At present, flight operations have been suspended by NOTAM until 14 March.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Project manager Kimmo Kuisma stated at the press conference that no formal decision has been made on the recreational use of the airport area, but that the \u201cCity of Helsinki\u201d has decided on the matter.\u00a0It is completely unclear who is responsible for the safety of citizens moving in the area or for maintaining the area.\u00a0The city is e.g.\u00a0urged the public using the area to note that there are also two emergency rescue routes through the airfield and to listen carefully to the sounds of sirens.\u00a0The city has not published any decision-making documentation that would identify those who are responsible in this matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The airport area has been leased to the Malmi Airfield Association, but the city intends to use it without clearing the matter with aviation authorities.\u00a0The right to control the area is currently pending before the Court of Appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2015, the airport area was presented for protection under the Building Heritage Act.\u00a0Due to the protection proposal, there is a ban on endangering the area.\u00a0The area has even greater landscape and cultural environmental values \u200b\u200bthan the zoning of Maria Hospital and the banks of the Espoo River, which have just been rejected by the administrative court.\u00a0The area of Malmi Airport is a Built Cultural Environment of National Significance defined by the National Board of Antiquities and the Ministry of the Environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first town plans for the area have been discussed by the city council.\u00a0Dissenting opinions have already been submitted at the board stage and later appealed to the administrative court.\u00a0The City of Helsinki has not investigated the impact of the plans on the area’s natural values, as required by law.\u00a0On this same basis, the zoning of \u00d6stersundom stopped in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Timo Hyv\u00f6nen, Chairman of the Friends of Malmi Airport Association, states that these actions confirm that the city is acting very arbitrarily in the matter of Malmi: \u201cToday’s events clearly show that the city has no intention of finding out or taking into account the natural values \u200b\u200bof the area.\u00a0Indifference to the region’s characteristics and cultural values \u200b\u200bis obvious and must be taken into account in court proceedings.” \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The association has tried to negotiate with the city for years, but the city refuses to meetings.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though the aviation needs are urgent, the city is planning a public event with pony rides and snow sculpture competitions on the airfield on 19 February.\u00a0Project manager Kuisma said in his statement: “Let’s see who takes over the area.”\u00a0This gives the impression that the city has no actual use for the area, but there is a desire to stop aviation activities in Helsinki and shut down the living cultural and aviation community of Malmi Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Friends of Malmi Airport will take part in the February event, providing the public with factual information about the airport, its history, natural values \u200b\u200band ongoing legal proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Friends of Malmi Airport Association has been founded in 2002. The purpose of the Association is to maintain the operations of Malmi Airport in its current location and to develop, promote and support the operations of the airport. The Association\u2019s aim is also to nurture and protect the diverse nature and built cultural sites and environments at Malmi as well as their character and special features, and to promote their sustainable management and use. In addition, the purpose of the association is to document, store and transmit information related to the intangible and tangible cultural heritage of the area.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The City of Helsinki has today announced that it has opened the gates to the airfield area of \u200b\u200bHelsinki-Malmi Airport.\u00a0The airport still enjoys official airport status.\u00a0At present, flight operations have been suspended by NOTAM until 14 March.\u00a0 Project manager Kimmo Kuisma stated at the press conference that no formal decision has been made on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-archive"],"yoast_head":"\n