In October, 35,025 passengers travelled through Tallinn Airport, representing 11% of the number of passengers in last October.
According to Eero Pärgmäe, the Commercial Director of Tallinn Airport, the increased number of people infected with corona virus in Europe influences the air traffic as well. “People who travel are those who really need to do it and this has caused a drop in the number of passengers not only on an annual basis but also compared to September, when more than 45,000 passengers travelled through Tallinn Airport. Given the current situation, we need to commend people for their responsible behaviour during the school vacation, when people assessed the situation adequately, spent their holiday at home and postponed longer trips further into the future,” Pärgmäe said.
“Despite the decreased number of passengers, we are giving our maximum at the airport to serve the existing travellers in the best possible way. We assist in every way the project of testing people arriving in Estonia, which has been welcomed also by the passengers. This way we can contribute to the goal that the people arriving from abroad are tested and in case of a positive test result we can quickly slow down the spread of virus,” Pärgmäe added.
Regular flights were serviced by seven airlines; as at the end of the month, flights have been suspended by Wizzair, Norwegian, easyJet, Aeroflot, Belavia and Turkish Airlines. The biggest airline to serve in Tallinn was AirBaltic with altogether 31% of the passengers in October.
At the end of October, we switched to winter time schedule, which is sparser compared to summer and fits the demand during the off-season. At the end of the year we are also expecting to see some new direct routes, such as Bergen and Trondheim in Norway and seasonal flights to Salzburg in Austria. This, of course, in the hope that the situation with corona virus will once again be taken under control by that time.
When travelling, we advise keeping the following in mind:
- Consult the Foreign Ministry website for the infection rate in your country of destination before planning the trip.
- Stay up to date with possible travel restrictions in your country of destination – consult the Reisi Targalt website, the ReOpen portal of the European Union, and, if necessary, contact the foreign mission of the country of destination for details.
- Register your trip at the Foreign Ministry’s Reisi Targalt website to allow the ministry to notify you of possible travel restrictions;
- Follow the recommendations of the Estonian Health Board for a safe flight to protect your health and that of others – if you show symptoms, please postpone your trip and contact your GP;
- Obtain travel insurance and carefully read the conditions of your insurance (including for travel interruptions caused by COVID-19);
- In the country of destination, follow the instructions of local authorities and keep up to date with possible new restrictions;
- Before return flight, print out the “Confirmation of compliance with movement restriction”, if you arrive from a destination to which self-isolation requirement applies. Upon arrival, the Police and Border Guard Board will check the form.
- On your return, follow the rules introduced in Estonia, monitor your health, and if you suspect you have been infected with the virus, contact your GP.
Starting from 1 September, all passengers arriving in the country via the airport can take a free initial coronavirus test at the airport (it is free for Estonian citizens, foreigners can take the test for a fee).
