The 12th Sustainable Airport Areas International Conference,Vantaa, 9-10 of October, 2025

This October, Vantaa will host the 12th Sustainable Airport Areas International Conference (SAAIC 2025), a defining event at the crossroads of urban planning, aviation, sustainability, and community development. Running from 9–10 of October at the Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport, the conference will bring together experts, practitioners, policymakers, and visionaries to reimagine how airports and their surrounding areas can be greener, smarter, and more integrated.

The City of Vantaa and its Mayor Pekka Timonen welcomes all participants to discuss the future of aviation.

Vantaa, home to Helsinki’s main international airport, is a fitting location for SAAIC. The city faces real challenges and opportunities in balancing aviation growth with community well-being: managing noise, optimizing land use, shaping sustainable mobility, and forging strong connections between residents and airport operations. Hosting the conference highlights Vantaa’s ambition to act as a living laboratory for sustainable airport-area development and to engage with global dialogue in this sector.

Over two days, participants will explore a wide range of themes, including integrated land use around airports, noise and emissions management, sustainable mobility and connectivity, resilience and innovation in the face of climate change, and community engagement in planning processes. The programme combines plenary sessions, thematic breakouts, panel discussions, and site visits, offering both global best practices and local case studies.

The event will attract a diverse audience of urban planners, airport operators, architects, policymakers, environmental experts, transport specialists, real estate developers, and community stakeholders. This interdisciplinary mix is at the heart of SAAIC’s strength, enabling collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas. For professionals, it is an opportunity to present research, benchmark strategies, and find collaborators, while for local leaders and citizens it opens a window into what is possible and provides a chance to influence how aviation growth and livable surroundings can coexist.

SAAIC 2025 stands out for its proximity to the airport itself, allowing real-time examples and site visits, its role as a testbed for innovative ideas in sustainable infrastructure and planning, and its potential to strengthen networks between Nordic and international stakeholders. The outcomes may even shape future policy documents, design guidelines, or master plans, leaving a lasting legacy for Vantaa and beyond.

The conference will take place on 9–10 of October 2025 at the Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport in Vantaa and is expected to draw around 150 delegates from various sectors. Sessions will largely be in English, and the location offers convenient access to Helsinki Airport, rail, and road networks, making travel simple for international participants.

Airports are no longer just transport nodes — they are catalysts for economic growth, mobility, and community ecosystems, but they also bring environmental challenges and social trade-offs. SAAIC provides a platform to confront these tensions directly, share lessons learned, and push forward the vision of sustainable, livable, and resilient airport areas. For Vantaa, it is an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and innovation; for participants, it is a chance to imagine and influence the future of one of the most dynamic interfaces between cities and aviation.

Home page: https://www.vantaa.fi/en/sustainable-airport-areas-international-conference-2025