Helsinki Airport Offers Sleeping Pods For Worn-Out Travellers

For all you weary travellers with scheduled flights in transit at Helsinki airport, there's good news for you sleepy heads but it comes with a price.

Helsinki Airport in Finland has become the first in Europe to offer sleeping pods for worn-out travellers who are looking to catch a little shut-eye between flights.

Already billed as one of the most sleep-friendly airports in the world, Finland’s largest airport has installed 19 GoSleep pods which offer privacy and peace for weary passengers.

It costs £6.50 per hour and pillows and blankets are available for the pods, which are located at two gates inside the terminal.

Each cocoon-like pod is an ergonomic seat which can be transformed into a bed, with a retractable cover designed to block light and noise.

Users can store their hand luggage under the seat and charge their laptops or mobile devices by using a built-in power source.

The GoSleep pods were designed and manufactured by Finnish Short Rest Solutions Ltd with the aim of taking some of the stress out of travel. More pictures after the cut.

Heikki Koski, Vice President at Helsinki Airport, said: ‘We wish to provide passengers with an opportunity for stress-free travel and a nap between flights.

‘Helsinki Airport has many transit passengers, who may not have had any sleep for a day or are suffering from jet lag. I believe that the service will have genuine demand.’

While most airports offer comfortable chairs with little privacy, Helsinki Airport tested the pods in a specially-designed rest area in 2013.

The pods were such a hit that the airport decided to purchase nearly a dozen of the chairs and scrap the relaxation area.

Jussi Piispanen, CEO of Short Rest Solutions Ltd., said: ‘The pilot project showed that passengers prefer individual sleeping pods to larger rest areas.

‘Sleeping pods have aroused wide-spread interest in particular on gate 18, where they are available for testing for free during the spring.

‘Based on customer feedback, we will continue to refine the service to make it even more customer-friendly.’

Officials at Helsinki Airport said they have had positive feedback from passengers since the programme quietly launched in mid-February.

Last year, the website SleepinginAirports.com ranked Helsinki Airport as the world’s third most sleep-friendly hotel, behind Singapore Changi Airport and Seoul’s Incheon International Airport.

In addition to individual sleeping pods in two public areas, Helsinki Airport offers a book swap for passengers, a free art gallery and free wifi.

It is also planning to open 70 new or renovated shops as part of a €900million (£650million) development programme with the goal of boosting its annual passenger volume to 20million in 2020.