Helsinki-Vantaa | Finavia seemed to have learned from its mistakes: the security check line at Helsinki-Vantaa went smoothly in the evening

Dear passengers! Please remember that you can only carry liquid containers with a maximum of 100 milliliters in your hand luggage.

The announcements at Helsinki-Vantaa airport repeat the same instruction, and it’s hard to ignore them. The same instruction is also repeated in Swedish and English.

The reason for the repeated announcements is that at the beginning of September, strict liquid restrictions were re-introduced at European airports, according to which liquid containers of no more than 100 milliliters can be carried in hand luggage.

The order caused congestion earlier this week in Helsinki-Vantaa. On Wednesday, the departure hall of Helsinki-Vantaa was badly congested and at worst you even had to wait in line for the security check a couple of hourswhich is why some passengers missed their flight.

Passengers and Finavia have shared differing views, for example, on how many security checkpoints have been open during rush hour.

Friday– in the afternoon, however, there was no more information about the corresponding traffic jams. The security check line went smoothly, even though 14:00 to 18:00 are the airport’s busiest times, when the most flights depart from the airport.

Even though there was a momentary queue at the security check at three o’clock, when several larger groups arrived for the check, the queue broke up quickly.

Finavia also seemed to have learned from its previous mistakes, as on Friday afternoon there were at least seven ground service personnel guiding passengers alone, who diligently repeated the message about liquid restrictions and directed the queue.

There were also at least nine bus stops open at three in the afternoon.

From Hamina Arrived in Helsinki-Vantaa Sari Saarinen and his daughter Luna Toivonen were waiting in Saarinen’s check-in hall. Another daughter Nelli Toivonen was checking in on behalf of everyone so that the destination would not be revealed to the mother.

Saarinen was leaving for a surprise trip to Turin organized by his daughters, although at the time of the interview he did not know that yet.

“I was given instructions on what kind of clothes I should pack,” says Saarinen.

The trip was the daughters’ joint birthday gift to their mother who turned 60.

Saarinen and Toivonen, who had arrived from Joensuu, had previously read in the newspaper about the congestion in Helsinki-Vantaa, so they were there on time. Their flight wasn’t leaving until three hours later. Their idea was to shop on the field. They had also dined at the airpor
t before security.

Saarinen was also aware in advance of the changed liquid rules. He didn’t see it as a problem.

“You don’t need to bring much for the weekend,” said Saarinen.

The third daughter Oona Uutelan after arriving there, the party went to the security check, where there didn’t seem to be any queues.

Sari Saarinen (left) got a surprise trip for her birthday from her daughters Luna Toivose, Nelli Toivose and Oona Uutela. Picture: Kimmo Penttinen

from Kausala Marko Mustonen slipped his bottle of aftershave into his golf bag in the departure hall. Mustonen was leaving his friend on Friday Jyrki Sytelän with Rostock, Germany for the European long shot championships.

“I read about the new restrictions on the way and realized to put the aftershave in the hold,” Mustonen said.

Otherwise, the two say that they usually travel light and only with hand luggage, but golf clubs go in the hold as special luggage.

In the same context, Mustonen had also read about traffic jams and feared the worst, but the lack of traffic jams on Friday was a pleasant surprise for him.

“I was afraid of the worst,” says Mustonen.

The two had to look for a moment for the right counter where the golf clubs should be left, but were then able to go through the security check in good time before the departure of their flight.

Jyrki Sytelä (left) and Marko Mustonen traveled to Rostock on Friday evening. Picture: Kimmo Penttinen