The approach lighting system renovated during the summer is located at the eastern end of the runway at Tampere-Pirkkala Airport. It is a system that is critical to aviation safety and helps pilots identify the location and alignment of the runway, particularly in darkness, rain, snowfall and conditions of low visibility.
"Renovations of approach lighting systems are important for ensuring continued safe and smooth operations. Lighting system renovations are major construction projects, as there are numerous light masts spread over a large area, parts of which are difficult to access," says Mari Nurminen, Airport Manager of Tampere-Pirkkala Airport at Finavia.
Finavia is often able to carry out the planning of air traffic area renovations using its in-house expertise. The planning is based on the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, and the operational requirements of the airport concerned. The placement, height, light intensity, distances and backup arrangements of the lights are determined by the types of approaches made to the runway in question.
"The planning must take into consideration differences in terrain elevation in the airport area, as well as trees, buildings, future land use, and flight obstacles. High operational reliability and resilience to disruptions are also key priorities in all planning and construction activities," Nurminen explains.
The development of traffic at Tampere-Pirkkala Airport
Tampere-Pirkkala Airport is one of Finavia’s four shared-use airports, which serve both military and civil aviation at the same time. In 2025, a total of just over 140,000 passengers travelled via Tampere-Pirkkala Airport. In January–June 2026, the number of passengers travelling through Tampere-Pirkkala Airport was 66,505, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.6 per cent.
In June, Finnair announced that it will resume scheduled flights between Helsinki Airport and Tampere-Pirkkala Airport. Daily flights will start in October 2026. In addition, Air Baltic operates flights to Malaga and Riga from Tampere-Pirkkala Airport.
The project's technical details in brief:
- Approach lighting system length: 900 metres.
- Light masts: 50
- Height of light masts: 0.3–13.6 metres
- Electrical cables replaced: approximately 12 kilometres
- Energy-efficient high- and low-intensity lighting units: 136 lighting units with a total of 182 individual light sources
- Employment effect outside Finavia: approximately 20 persons from local companies
- Secondary use of materials: the old lighting units and cables were recycled, and some of the masts will be reused for new purposes at Finavia’s other sites.
- Asphalted and repaved areas: 24,300 m2
FINAVIA CORPORATION
Communications
Read also these
Learn more about Finavia’s investments in regional airports
Learn more about the Tampere-Pirkkala Airport development programme in 2018
Read more about Finnair's resumption of flights between Helsinki Airport and Tampere-Pirkkala Airport
