Contact information

Pia is the CEO of the Finnish Aviation Museum Foundation. She is also the project director of the New Aviation Museum project. Pia is responsible for the project’s administration and finances. You can reach Pia by email pia.illikainen@ilmailumuseo.fi or by phone +358 44 239 5030.

Valeri is the project manager for museum conceptualization. He is responsible for the project’s working groups and coordinates the design of the new museum’s concept. Valeri has a background in the study of oral traditions, and he is fascinated by the numerous, incredibly inspiring stories of aviation history. You can reach Valeri by email valeri.saltikoff@ilmailumuseo.fi or by phone +358 44 062 6252.

Meiju is the exhibition producer for the project. She has expertise in multisensory exhibition storytelling and project management. Additionally, she is a theater maker who is enthusiastic about researched information and community-based approaches. You can reach Meiju by email meiju.pax@ilmailumuseo.fi or by phone +358 44 901 2010.

The New Aviation Museum’s first temporary exhibition tells the story of Finnish space activities. The upcoming exhibition by the Finnish Aviation Museum highlights the importance of space activities to people’s everyday lives and to the reliable functioning of societies. The exhibition’s content is curated by Jari Mäkinen, an experienced space activities expert and science journalist.

Roope is the construction consultant for the project. Under Roope’s leadership, the construction project will be completed in close collaboration with the museum’s staff, designers, and contractors. Roope also has a special enthusiasm for the field represented by the museum – his free time is pleasantly spent on gliding.

Henri, also known as Henkka, is the long-time sales manager of the aviation museum and a passionate aviation fan. Henkka takes care of the museum’s partnerships and collaborations. If your company wants to help with the move of the new aviation museum, the delivery of technology, or anything else related to the new aviation museum, you can reach Henkka by email henri.aijala@ilmailumuseo.fi or by phone +358 44 754 7754.

Susanna’s background is in the business world, and thus she is like a fish in water when it comes to developing the new aviation museum. Susanna hopes that through the new aviation museum project, the museum will gain a wide network of partners, enabling the creation of Europe’s finest aviation museum in Finland by 2027! If your company wants to become a partner, you can reach Susanna by email susanna.ahovaara@ilmailumuseo.fi or by phone +358 44 901 7492.

Sini is responsible for the museum’s communication strategy, influencer communication, and public relations. Her extensive experience in cultural services and the organizational field supports the museum’s operations and is particularly valuable in the New Aviation Museum project. For media inquiries and other communication-related matters, please contact Sini by email sini.salo@ilmailumuseo.fi or by phone +358 44 491 3710.

Long-time aviation museum enthusiast Matias knows almost everything about aviation history. Matias is responsible for the museum’s collections (which have accumulated over 10,000 items) and the relocation of the collections, which is a massive operation requiring assistance from external parties. You can reach Matias by email matias.laitinen@ilmailumuseo.fi or by phone +358 40 575 7783.

Veera Sandgren has long been responsible for the Aviation Museum’s customer service, first behind the museum’s info desk and, in recent years, as Customer Service Manager. In the New Aviation Museum project, she leads the customer and facility services working group. Veera’s heart beats for events and customer encounters. She’s driven by the variety of museum work and by developing the customer experience. You can reach Veera at: veera.sandgren@ilmailumuseo.fi / 044 2423 400.

Hilla is our warm-hearted, dependable go-to person, taking great care of both our customers and our volunteers. Building the New Aviation Museum calls for plenty of extra hands, doers, and volunteers — individuals as well as associations and companies! Get in touch with Hilla at 044 901 9711 / hilla.leikas@ilmailumuseo.fi and join the volunteer effort to build the New Aviation Museum.

Noora Juju leads the New Aviation Museum project’s public engagement, experience, and digital services team. She is also part of the exhibition team and serves as the contact person for schools and educational institutions. Noora has a background in game design, science education, and developing experiential services. She’s especially passionate about combining hands-on learning with memorable experiences. Get in touch at noora.juju@ilmailumuseo.fi or 044 902 5150.

Anna-Riikka works as a Collections Assistant at the Finnish Aviation Museum. She moved into the role after completing an archive internship at the museum, and her work focuses on the history of Finland-Swedish aviators in Finland. The project is supported by Svenska kulturfonden. Her interest in aviation was sparked by military aviation and Cold War-era fighter jets, and has since broadened to cover aviation history more widely. What excites her about the job is researching aviation history, collections work, and the chance to follow the museum’s relocation process up close. Anna-Riikka has just completed her master’s degree in art history.

Sauli Klaavu works as a Museum Technician at the Finnish Aviation Museum. He has a background in industrial and various technical fields, and has long been actively involved in aviation history. He has volunteered at the Finnish Aviation Museum since 2013, taking part in restoration and other collections work with the Wednesday Club, and later also with the Tuesday Club. In aviation, he’s especially fascinated by aircraft, their technical solutions, and their use particularly during wartime. In his free time, he restores classic cars and motorcycles, among other things.

Sora is a project worker on the UIM project, working with the exhibition design team. She came to museum work from a background in sports and social/health care, and is currently studying cultural studies. She brings special expertise in accessibility and diversity to UIM’s exhibition work, along with fresh ideas from museology studies at university. Sora is drawn to museum work that imagines paths toward a more socially and ecologically sustainable future.

Sirian works on the New Aviation Museum project as Producer of the Space Exhibition and plans events for the new museum. With a background in cultural production, Sirian brings solid experience in event production, game design, and projects and initiatives involving children and young people. Sirian is passionate about creating new ways to experience history through storytelling, gamification, art, and shared, hands-on activities.