In a country with more than 3-million saunas, it’s no surprise that the Helsinki Airport would be the first to introduce the world’s first runway sauna. Finland, reported to be the happiest country in the world, has at least one sauna for every three people. It is a part of the culture and a draw for visiting wellness enthusiasts.
“Most airports have transit zones—some even have saunas,” says Anna Tuomi, head of marketing for Finavia, a company that manages and develops airports in Finland. “But only Helsinki Airport can offer a transit to Finnish happiness. It is the touchpoint to tune into the rhythm, values, and mindset of Finland. Your story can go anywhere from here. To showcases this short transition, we built the world’s first runway sauna at Helsinki Airport.”
An ideal way to embark on a visit to Helsinki, while relieving mental fatigue and stress, a sauna experience is designed for socializing and as a ritual cleansing. The word “sauna” is one of the only Finnish words that has spread around the world without being translated into other languages.
Selected as the best airport in Europe seven times within the past eight years, Helsinki Airport has three saunas in the terminal for passengers to enjoy. Open for one day in June, the runway sauna celebrated sauna culture, which is a symbol of Finnish identity.
“Finland is known as the world’s happiest country, and the timeless tradition of sauna is at the heart of Finnish culture,” says Tuomi. “At Finavia, we’ve brought these elements together to celebrate Finnish happiness.”
