Finland to build fighter runway along Highway 5

A new reserve runway for fighter jets will be built at Paukarlathi on Highway 5 in Leppävirta, supporting the Finnish Air Force’s ability to disperse aircraft in a crisis, Yle reports.

The runway will be about 2.7 kilometres long and 46 metres wide. It will be built west of the existing road, which will remain as a parallel route. The runway will have no central barrier or permanent lighting, at the Air Force’s request, for flight safety reasons.

The Air Force can move aircraft and personnel from fixed bases to reserve runways during a crisis. The arrangement makes it harder to destroy aircraft, said Colonel Tomi Böhm, commander of the Karelia Air Wing. Two parking stands will also be built so aircraft can be refuelled and armed. The road bases are suitable for F-35 fighters, which will replace Finland’s Hornets.

The Highway 5 upgrade between Leppävirta and Kuopio began in August. The section that includes the runway is expected to start construction next year and be completed by 2030. The runway portion is estimated to cost about 32 million euros, within a total project budget of about 212 million euros.

When the Paukarlathi runway is complete, the Karelia Air Wing will have two recently built reserve runways within 50 kilometres of its main base at Rissala in Siilinjärvi. A runway on Highway 9, next to the air wing, was completed in autumn 2025. The Air Force expects to hold its first exercise at Paukarlathi about a year after construction is finished.