A Match Made in HEL – Finnair and Finavia bring top skaters from Europe and Asia to promote Helsinki Airport
Finnair and Finavia are highlighting the benefits of Helsinki Airport as the airport for fast transfers between East and West by arranging a unique event from October 12 to 13 – A Match made in HEL skateboarding invitational – that turns the airport into a uniquely challenging skaters’ playground. Celebrated Finnish professional skateboarder Arto Saari and his crew will hold the Arto Saari Invitational, which gathers skaters from Asia and Europe to share their passion and show off their skills at a one-of-a-kind, pop-up skate park on the airport grounds.
Helsinki Airport has emerged as major transfer hub between Asia and Europe, and 15 million passengers use the airport every year.
"Finnair aims to double the revenues of its Asian traffic via Helsinki by 2020, and with this event, we wanted to highlight the benefits of Helsinki Airport in a new way - by showing the Airport through the eyes of skateboarders", says Jarkko Konttinen, Vice President for Marketing and Product at Finnair. “The airport is part of the journey - a place to play, have fun and go somewhere you’ve never been before. That’s why we invited Arto and his crew to come and reimagine this familiar environment.”
"Airports are often seen as stressful environments, and we have always wanted to show that Helsinki Airport is different. This fun and exciting event is a part of that, and it also enables us to show the benefits - such as speed - that Helsinki has to offer for transfer passengers," Ville Haapasaari, Finavia’s Senior Vice President and Director of Helsinki Airport.
To apply for the Invitational, skateboarders around the world are asked to share their skate videos at www.matchmadeinHEL.com. Arto and his crew will then invite four entrants from among the most popular to join them in HEL. Videos from the skateboarding sessions with all the behind-the-scenes details will be distributed via the Match Made in HEL YouTube channel and other social media channels to a global audience.
Notes to editors
HEL is the airport code for Helsinki Airport
Finnair is one of the most innovative, safest and longest-operating airlines in the world, established in 1923. In recent years it has become a major airline in traffic between Asia and Europe, connecting 15 destinations in Asia to over 80 destinations in Europe. Finnair’s mission is to offer the smoothest connections in the northern hemisphere via Helsinki and the fastest and best network to the world from its home market.
Helsinki Airport is the gateway between Asia and Europe. Flying via Helsinki means that you are flying the shorter and faster northern route. Designed especially for transferring between Asian and European flights, it is consistently ranked among the best in Europe – and even in the world – by international airport quality surveys. Helsinki Airport is operated by Finavia, the company responsible for Finnish airports and air navigation services.
Arto Saari is a professional skateboarder who lives in Huntington Beach, California. He was selected as the “2001 Skater of the Year” by Thrasher magazine and is considered one of the best street skaters in the world. Arto also appeared as a playable character in the video games Evolution Skateboarding, Tony Hawk’s Underground and Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground.
For more information and photos of Helsinki Airport, please contact Finavia Media Desk, +358 20 708 2002, comms@finavia.fi
Further information:
Finnair Media Desk, +358 9 818 4020, comms(a)finnair.com
Finnair Gallery: http://gallery.finnair.com
Finnair on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Twitter
Finnair blogs: http://blogs.finnair.com
Finnair on Facebook: www.facebook.com/finnair
Finnair Group website: www.finnairgroup.com
About Finnair
Finnair flies between Asia, Europe and North America with an emphasis on fast connections via Helsinki, carrying more than nine million passengers annually and connecting 15 cities in Asia with more than 60 destinations in Europe. The airline, a pioneer in sustainable flying, will be the European launch customer of the next-generation, eco-smart Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and is the first airline listed in the Leadership Index of the worldwide Carbon Disclosure Project. The only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking, Finnair has also won the World Airline Award for Best Airline Northern Europe for the past five years running. Finnair is a member of oneworld, the alliance of the world's leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers.