Scheduled international traffic returned to Malmi Airport
29 October 2010
 |
| The ambassador of Denmark Jens-Otto Horslund (at left) ceremoniously gave Bel Air's AgustaWestland helicopter the name "Spirit of Malmi Airport". Bel Air's manager and pilot Susanne H. Lastein revealed the name with airport manager Ari Sireeni, briefing manager Päivi Hokkanen and Stella Group's chairman of the board Kari Juvas following the proceedings. Photo: Ilkka Mäkelä |
On Friday 29 October 2010, a historic occasion took place at Malmi Airport as the Danish helicopter operator Bel Air A/S celebrated commencing its regular international traffic to and from the airport. The flights actually began a few days earlier, but on Friday Malmi Airport, Bel Air and the ground handling operator Stella Group arranged a ceremony to celebrate the occasion in restaurant Hopealintu and on the apron.
Bel Air operates an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter, transporting personnel of Allseas Group's M/V Solitaire to and from Malmi Airport. The Solitaire is in the Gulf of Finland laying the Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. It is the largest pipelay vessel in the world and has a crew of 420 persons.
The occasion didn't only mark the return of scheduled international traffic to Malmi, but also gave rise to a festive namegiving ceremony as the helicopter to fly the route received the name "Spirit of Malmi Airport" in honor of the cultural-historical value of the Airport.
Speeches were made at the ceremony by airport manager Ari Sireeni, Bel Air's manager and pilot Susanne H. Lastein, Stella Group's chairman of the board Kari Juvas and the ambassador of Denmark, Jens-Otto Horslund, who honored the occasion with his presence and conducted the namegiving ceremony, witnessed by a large gathering of the Airport's operators.
Regular traffic will be flown in the first stage until March 2011, and the second stage will commence in summer 2011.