Helsinki Airport Supports Local Biodiversity with Beehives Promoting Pollination and Sustainability
(IN SHORT) Helsinki Airport continues to support local biodiversity with two active beehives located near runway 2. Each hive, home to approximately 50,000 bees, plays a vital role in pollinating plants that sustain a variety of local insect species. The hives are maintained weekly by the Finnish company Korpikuusikon Hunaja, producing up to 25 kilograms of honey per hive. This initiative is part of Finavia’s broader efforts to enhance sustainability and promote biodiversity around its airports.
(PRESS RELEASE) VANTAA, 2025-May-20 — /Travel PR News/ — Helsinki Airport is enhancing its environmental sustainability by hosting two large beehives, actively contributing to the local ecosystem. The beehives are part of a broader effort to promote biodiversity and sustainability in and around the airport, supporting pollination essential for plant growth and the broader food chain.
Kirsi Pitkäranta, Vice President of Sustainability & Environment at Finavia, commented, “We are committed to caring for the local environment and nature around our airport. Bees play a crucial role in pollination, which helps plants reproduce and provides more food for other insects, such as butterflies. This not only supports insect populations but also enriches the biodiversity of the area.”
Each beehive houses approximately 50,000 bees, and they are strategically placed on the east side of runway 2 at Helsinki Airport, where the surrounding environment offers a mix of bogs, sunny ridges, and forests. This varied landscape provides the bees with an ideal habitat for nectar collection.
“It’s essential for the airport and the surrounding nature to coexist as part of the same ecosystem. Finavia’s goal is to enhance biodiversity in the areas surrounding our airports,” Pitkäranta added.
The location of the hives was carefully considered to ensure that the bees do not interfere with airport operations. The bees only move in swarms when changing hives and do not attract birds, ensuring no disruption to the airport’s functions.
The beehives are maintained regularly by Korpikuusikon Hunaja, a Finnish company, with visits occurring about once a week. The honey produced from the hives is collected and harvested, with each hive producing up to 25 kilograms of honey annually.
The beehives have been in operation since the summer of 2023 and continue to be an integral part of Helsinki Airport’s sustainability efforts in 2025.
Media contact:
comms@finavia.fi
SOURCE: Finavia
