"Customer experience is at the heart of everything we do, and our goal is to make smooth travel possible even for passengers with a fear of flying. Our welcoming event offered participants the opportunity to ask questions and get answers about flying," says Hanna Hämäläinen, Finavia's Head of Passenger Services and Development at Helsinki Airport.
The afternoon event held at Helsinki Airport on 1 April 2025 included a lecture by psychologist and fear of flying coach Paula Kinnunen on the fear of flying, a lecture by Finnair pilot Riikka Kapiainen on flying, a lecture by Airport Chaplain, professional supervisor and TRE instructor Hanna Similä on the physical methods of managing the fear of flying, and a tour of the airport terminal.
"Travelling creates lifelong memories for people. It's important that everyone can experience these moments without fear. Finavia is committed to supporting passengers and ensuring that their journey starts and ends safely and comfortably," Hämäläinen says.
"Fear of flying is something I encounter every week in my work, and I see first-hand how it can prevent people from fulfilling their dreams or even seeing their family. I wanted to offer people who are afraid of flying the chance to alleviate their fear by receiving expert information and practical tips, and to give them the opportunity to experience the airport and its processes in safe company," says Airport Chaplain Hanna Similä.
Airport Chaplain Hanna Similä (left), psychologist Paula Kinnunen and pilot Riika Kaipainen spoke about the fear of flying at Helsinki Airport.
Similä believes that the event was meaningful for the participants.
"It was moving to hear how important this afternoon was to these people," she says.
In their feedback, the participants praised, among other things, the confidential atmosphere created in a short period of time, in which they felt comfortable enough to ask questions.
"We were a group of people who didn't know each other and who were very different, but we had one thing in common – the fear of flying. I felt that the event was really important and necessary," says one of the participants.
Finavia plans to organise similar events about fear of flying in the future.
