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Passengers have named Helsinki Airport Europe’s best airport for customer experience in the 15–25 million passengers category – for the seventh time. Yes, seventh. At this point, it’s less of a win and more of a habit. When it comes to airports, Helsinki is starting to feel like the Norwegians at the Winter Olympics.
The accolade comes from the ASQ (Airport Service Quality) awards, run by Airports Council International, which surveys passengers at roughly 400 airports across 95 countries. Around 4,000 travellers a year are interviewed at Helsinki Airport alone, meaning this isn’t just a polite Nordic pat on the back. It’s data.
‘Helsinki Airport is a strategically important international hub for Finland, and this recognition shows that our passengers experience our airport as smooth, welcoming and high-quality also in international comparison,’ says Laura Inttilä, Senior Vice President at Helsinki Airport.
Translation: it works, it’s friendly and it doesn’t make you cry before take-off.
A rare serial winner
The ASQ award isn’t a one-off popularity contest. It’s based on continuous measurement of customer satisfaction across around 30 service categories – from wayfinding and check-in to shopping and dining.
Helsinki Airport is one of the few airports to win repeatedly, suggesting this isn’t a fluke year. It previously took home the ASQ title in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and now 2025.
‘My sincere thanks go to the entire airport community,’ Inttilä says. ‘A world-class customer experience is built together – the contribution of everyone working at the airport is crucial.’
Which, in plain English, means that from security staff to baristas, everyone’s pulling their weight.
So What Makes Helsinki Airport So Special?
Awards are nice. But what actually makes Helsinki Airport stand out from the usual parade of beige terminals and identical sandwich chains?
For starters, it doesn’t feel copy-pasted. While many airports lean heavily on the global greatest hits of retail (you know the ones), Helsinki has made room for concepts that feel distinctly Finnish – and occasionally surprising.
There’s what is quite possibly the world’s only vintage shop inside an airport, offering pre-loved fashion that’s more curated Helsinki cool than last-minute panic buy. It’s the sort of place where you could realistically pick up a 1970s leather jacket before boarding a flight to Tokyo. Try doing that at Heathrow.
Then there’s one of our favourite touches: an actual supermarket. On the ground floor, before check-in, you’ll find Alepa – a no-frills, properly priced grocery shop where you can grab snacks for the flight without taking out a small loan. Instead of £7 airport crisps and existential regret, you get normal prices and the quiet thrill of beating the system.
Beyond the shops, the airport leans into Finnish design. The architecture is airy and calm rather than chaotic, with plenty of wood, clean lines and actual breathing space. There are art installations, thoughtfully designed seating areas and even a touch of playful national mythology: you can spot Santa Claus riding his reindeer sleigh all year round (this is Finland, after all), and the country’s beloved Moomins have their own spot at the airport too. It’s subtle, slightly whimsical and very on-brand – a reminder that you’re not just anywhere in Europe, but very specifically in Finland.
In short, it feels considered. Not flashy for the sake of it, or trying too hard. Just inventive enough to be interesting, and efficient enough to get you where you’re going without the usual airport drama. For travellers passing through Finland, that’s good news. Because if you’re going to be stuck somewhere between here and there, it might as well be somewhere that knows exactly what it’s doing.
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