Editing Tallinn Airport (section)

===Modern development===
[[File:Defense.gov News Photo 970711-M-0023H-001.jpg|thumb|A [[USAF]] [[C-5A Galaxy]] unloads at Tallinn Airport during Exercise Baltic Challenge '97.]]

The construction works of the first cargo terminal (Cargo 1), located in the middle of future cargo area on the north side of the airport, were carried out from September 1997 until March 1998.<ref name="Cargo Terminal">{{cite news |title=Tallinn Airport&nbsp;– Cargo Terminal |url=http://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng/associates/Cargo/Facilities/?articleID=630 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701175832/https://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng/associates/Cargo/Facilities/?articleID=630 |archive-date=1 July 2011  }}</ref> The passenger terminal building was completely modernised in 1999, increasing its capacity to 1.4 million passengers per year,<ref name="Eesti Päevaleht" /> and after that greatly expanded in 2008. The growing demand for extra space for cargo operations, created a situation where there was a need for cargo terminal expansion, Cargo 2.<ref name="Cargo Terminal" /> In order to meet the growing demand for new cargo facilities at Tallinn Airport, the number of cargo terminals was later expanded to four. In the year 2012, a new aircraft maintenance hangar was opened and the number of passengers passed two million mark the first time in the history of the airport. On 11 January 2013, the airport was accepted into [[Airport Carbon Accreditation]] emission managing and reduction programme by [[Airports Council International|ACI]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Tallinn Airport received Airport Carbon Accredited certificate |url=http://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng/news/?newsID=6230 |publisher=tallinn-airport.ee |date=12 January 2013 |access-date=15 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130331013808/https://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng/news/?newsID=6230 |archive-date=31 March 2013  }}</ref> The year 2013 saw the introduction of an automatic border control system and athestart of construction of a new business aviation hangar complex. {{Citation needed|date=March 2017}}

====2008 expansion====
[[File:Construction works in Tallinn Airport - panoramio.jpg|thumb|left|Construction of the terminal expansion]]
The airport underwent a large expansion project between January 2006 and September 2008. The existing terminal was expanded by {{convert|35000|m2|abbr=on|sigfig=4}} and the architects of the project were Jean Marie Bonnard, Pia Tasa and Inge Sirkel-Suviste.<ref name="Expansion 2008">{{cite web |title=Reconstruction of Tallinn airport |url=http://www.eareng.ee/blog/reconstruction-of-tallinn-airport-passengers-terminal-workshop-drawings/ |publisher=EA Reng |work=eareng.ee |access-date=6 April 2016}}</ref> The terminal was expanded in three directions, resulting in 18 new gates, separate lounges for [[Schengen Agreement|Schengen]] and non-Schengen passengers, 10 new check-in desks and a new restaurant and cafes. Due to the gallery that connects all the gates and was constructed in the middle of the terminal building the terminal became T-shaped. The projecting terminal section enables a two-level traffic for international passengers. The renewed terminal has nine passenger bridges. The extensions constructed at the ends of the terminal building became additional rooms for registering for the flights and for delivering arriving luggage.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tallinn Airport&nbsp;– The Cohesion Fund projects |url=http://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng/aboutcompany/thecohesionfundprojects |access-date=10 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329181311/https://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng/aboutcompany/thecohesionfundprojects |archive-date=29 March 2013  }}</ref> Outside the terminal, the apron was refurbished and expanded and a new taxiway was added. The new terminal allows the airport to handle twice as many passengers as it could handle before. The renovated terminal received the award "Concrete Building of the Year 2008" by the Estonian Concrete Association.<ref name="Expansion 2008" />
[[File:Aeropuerto Internacional de Tallinn, Estonia, 2012-08-05, DD 04.JPG|thumb|left|The terminal after its expansion (August 2012)]]

====Renaming====
After the death of former [[president of Estonia]] [[Lennart Meri]] on 14 March 2006, journalist Argo Ideon from [[Eesti Ekspress]] proposed to honour the president's memory by naming Tallinn Airport after him&nbsp;– "{{lang|et|Tallinna Lennart Meri Rahvusvaheline Lennujaam}}" (Lennart Meri International Airport), drawing parallels with [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]], [[Charles de Gaulle Airport]], [[Sabiha Gökçen International Airport]] etc.<ref>Ideon, A. [http://ekspress.ee/viewdoc/BA6BA527F61B26D4C2257131005EB487 Lennu jaam]. 15 March 2006. Eesti Ekspress. (''In Estonian'')</ref> Ideon's article also mentioned the fact that Meri himself had shown concern for the condition of the then [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]-era construction (in one memorable case Meri, having arrived from [[Japan]], led the group of journalists that were expecting him, to the airport's [[toilet]]s to do the interview there, in order to point out the shoddy condition of the facilities<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.balticsww.com/new_airport.htm|title= City paper—The Baltic States|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060314183155/http://www.balticsww.com/new_airport.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 March 2006|website=www.balticsww.com}}</ref>).

The name change was discussed at a board meeting on 29 March 2006,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postimees.ee/300306/online_uudised/196439.php |title=Lennujaama nõukogu arutab nimevahetust |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012045659/http://www.postimees.ee/300306/online_uudised/196439.php |archive-date=12 October 2007 |date=29 March 2006 |website=Postimees |language=et}}</ref> and on the opening of the new terminal on 19 September 2008, Prime Minister [[Andrus Ansip]] officially announced the renaming would take place in March 2009<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tallinn-airport.ee/news/?newsID=3556 |title=Uuenenud lennujaam saab kevadel Lennart Meri nimeliseks |date=21 September 2008 |website=Tallinna Lennujaam |language=et}}</ref>

====Baltic Sea cruise turnarounds====
[[File:Embraer 170 (Estonian Air) Aeropuerto Tallinn, Estonia, 2012-08-05, DD 06.jpg|thumb|[[Estonian Air]] at Tallinn Airport (2012)]]
In 2011 a new project of cruise turnarounds was launched in cooperation with [[Tallinn Passenger Port]] and Happy Cruises. More than 7,000 Spanish passengers travelled that year on charter flights to and from Tallinn Airport.<ref>{{cite news |title=1,9 million passengers served in 2011 |url=http://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng/news/?archive=1&year=2012&newsID=6070 |publisher=tallinn-airport.ee |date=9 January 2012 |access-date=28 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402133415/https://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng/news/?archive=1&year=2012&newsID=6070 |archive-date=2 April 2015  }}</ref> As the airport is located only {{Convert|5|km|abbr=on}} from the city center cruise quay, transfer time from airport to cruise ship is under an hour.<ref>{{cite news |first=Teijo |last=Niemelä |title=Pullmantur revives Tallinn's turnaround sector |url=http://www.cruisebusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2685:pullmantur-revives-tallinns-turnaround-sector&catid=43:latest-news-catecory&Itemid=115 |publisher=cruisebusiness.com |date=16 July 2012 |access-date=28 September 2012}}</ref>

In 2012, [[Pullmantur Air]] started its charter operations from [[Madrid–Barajas Airport]] with three [[Airbus A321]]s and two to three [[Boeing 747]]s. During the summer 2012 about 16,000 tourists were transferred.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lennujaama 76. aasta tähtsündmus oli pööringusuvi |url=http://www.tallinn-airport.ee/news/?newsID=6184 |publisher=tallinn-airport.ee |date=20 September 2012 |access-date=28 September 2012 |language=et}}</ref> The company continued operations in 2013, transferring 25,000 tourists in five turnarounds,<ref>{{cite news |title=Pööringuga käis Eestis 25 000 hispaanlast |url=http://arileht.delfi.ee/news/tarbija/pooringuga-kais-eestis-25-000-hispaanlast.d?id=67525886 |work=Ärileht.ee |publisher=delfi.ee |language=et |date=30 December 2013 |access-date=31 December 2013}}</ref> as well as there was one partial turnaround operation for the cruise ship [[MS Deutschland]] operated by [[Peter Deilmann Cruises]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Tallinna külastab suvehooaja esimene kruiisilaev Astor |url=http://www.ts.ee/uudised?&art=335 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130701094115/http://www.ts.ee/uudised?&art=335 |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 July 2013 |publisher=Port of Tallinn |date=29 April 2012 |access-date=3 May 2013 |language=et }}</ref>

In 2015, cruise tourists were attended to by four airlines – [[Iberia (airline)|Iberia]], [[Iberia Express]], [[Wamos Air]], and [[Vueling]]. Some 5,000 passengers were expected during three turnarounds for [[Pullmantur Cruises]] cruise line.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng/news/?newsID=6806 |title=Turnaround season begins this weekend |publisher=tallinn-airport.ee |date=10 July 2015 |access-date=12 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712190331/https://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng/news/?newsID=6806 |archive-date=12 July 2015  }}</ref> Tallinn Airport served 9,369 cruise turnaround passengers in 2015. No cruise turnarounds are expected in summer 2016 due to construction works, but the airport plans to continue them in 2017.<ref name="Summary 2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.tallinn-airport.ee/en/news/tallinn-airport-passenger-volumes-up-by-7-4-per-cent-in-2015/ |title=Tallinn Airport passenger volumes up by 7.4 per cent in 2015 |publisher=tallinn-airport.ee |date=6 January 2016 |access-date=14 January 2016}}</ref>

====Demise of Estonian Air====
On 7 November 2015, [[Estonian Air]] was liquidated following an adverse decision by the European Commission.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-orders-estonia-to-recover-funds-from-national-flag-carrier-1446906704 |title=Estonian Air Ceases Operations Following EU Subsidies Ruling |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=7 November 2015}}</ref> This meant a significant temporary loss of business for the airport, as Estonian Air had been the largest carrier, accounting for one third of all capacity in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Estonian Air network now (mostly) flown by Nordic Aviation Group using Adria Airways AOC; SAS and airBaltic sense opportunities |url=http://www.anna.aero/2015/11/18/estonian-air-collapse-analyse/ |date=18 November 2015}}</ref>