NewsHoney with a Hint of Kerosene: Why Helsinki Airport Keeps Its Own...

Honey with a Hint of Kerosene: Why Helsinki Airport Keeps Its Own Beehives

While airports are more commonly associated with the roar of jet engines than with nature conservation, the gateway to Finland’s capital has quietly become home to thousands of pollinating bees.

Tucked away from the passengers’ view, two large beehives buzz with life on the eastern side of runway 2. Each houses around 50,000 bees — a miniature metropolis working not just for honey, but for something much greater: the ecological health of the region.

“It’s important that the airport and its surrounding nature can thrive as neighbours and as part of the same ecosystem,” says Kirsi Pitkäranta, Vice President of Sustainability and Environment at Finavia, the state-owned operator of Helsinki Airport. “Finavia’s goal is to promote biodiversity in the vicinity of airports.”

Buzzing for the Environment

The initiative launched in the summer of 2023, and now each summer the hives return to the airfield. Bees at Finland’s main airport have become not only a symbol of the company’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact — they provide tangible ecological benefits.

Bees play a crucial role in pollinating wild plants, which in turn provide food and shelter for other insects, birds, and small animals.

“Bees pollinate plants that can then reproduce and produce more food for other insects, such as butterflies” Pitkäranta explains. “This will also improve the reproductive possibilities of insects and diversify the species in the area.”

The location of the hives was not chosen by chance. They are placed in an ecologically rich area with bogs, sunlit ridges, and forests — ideal for nectar gathering.

Importantly, the bees pose no threat to aircraft. They forage individually and only swarm when changing hives, making them safe neighbors even in an active airport zone. Additionally, they do not attract birds — a critical factor for aviation safety.

A Sweet Return

Beyond their ecological role, the hives offer a delicious byproduct — honey. Finavia partners with the Finnish company Korpikuusikon Hunaja, whose specialists maintain the hives and harvest honey throughout the summer. One hive can produce up to 25 kilograms of honey per season.

Although this is not a commercial operation, the honey has symbolic value. It can be used as a corporate gift for partner organizations or shared with airport staff — turning environmental stewardship into something tangible and sweet.

avianews.com
avianews.com
We have been observing aviation since 2004.

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