Helsinki-Vantaa Airport faces significant delays as new liquid restrictions take effect

At the beginning of September, European airports reinstated strict liquid restrictions, allowing only containers of up to 100 milliliters in carry-on luggage. This regulation has created significant delays at Helsinki-Vantaa and other European airports, where new advanced baggage scanners have been implemented. Lines have stretched for up to two hours as larger liquid containers have been removed from bags.

According to Finavia, the company managing Helsinki-Vantaa, the communication regarding the new liquid rules has been poorly executed. Hanna Hämäläinen, the director of passenger services, noted that congestion began as soon as the regulations came into effect. “We handle between 50,000 and 60,000 passengers daily, with thousands passing through security. We’ve found that nearly every other traveler has oversized liquid containers,” she stated.

However, not all passengers agree with Finavia’s explanations. Tomi Huoviala, a frequent flyer through Helsinki-Vantaa, argued that security staffing has been insufficient for years. He reported waiting an hour for security on a Tuesday morning while traveling to Copenhagen, claiming the real issue is inadequate staff and processes.

Pekka Lehtinen also faced long wait times, taking an hour and 50 minutes to get through security, leading him to miss his flight. He criticized the liquid scanner’s inability to accurately detect container sizes, citing a personal experience with a 75-milliliter lotion that still resulted in a special inspection.

Passengers reported chaos as lines extended outside the terminal on several occasions. Finavia is promising increased resources by the end of September, having only recently begun hiring additional security personnel after new regulations were announced. Hämäläinen assured that training for security staff typically takes two and a half months, so more support is on the way soon.