So, if this is intended to curb illegal taxi practices, why the changes on bus stop? Will this affect the new express bus also? :S

It's a bit difficult to understand why shouldn't all taxi stops be universally available for use by all legal taxi companies. Why would the airport only accept 2 or 3 operators when there's easily 30 legal taxi companies in Tallinn?

Cartel much?

Tallink, Tulika, and Tallinna Taksopark have a contract with the airport. In Russia, that's called a payoff. In Italy it's called vigorish, in the USA it's called payola. Are you guys getting my drift?

Yeah I'm not sure why they need to re-route buses for this. Both the city bus and the Tallinn-Tartu buses make stops on the upper level and it's very convenient for passengers.

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater, that's what this is, and probably for dubious reasons as outlined by previous commentators. It's an absolute relief when you are travelling with heavy luggage to walk a distance of 10 metres from the baggage hall straight to the bus stop and I imagine it's especially convenient for the elderly and those travelling with children. Now you will have to struggle with luggage/children down the escalator or queue for the lift to get to the lower level. And why? Ostensibly to prevent "unauthorised taxis" but then why also exclude the buses? Notice that only taxis with a contract with the airport will be allowed on the upper level - sounds like Tallinn Airport did a little deal with them by making the buses that much harder to find and get to for uninformed tourists. Absolutely disgusting.

Problem is that the city will not crack down on the rip-off taxis. Go and read some travel forums like Trip Advisor of taxis that rip off the tourists with ridiculous rates. Most countries/cities have standard rates as part of license so tourists are unaware that this is not the case in Tallinn where they can charge what they want. The contracted taxis are always recommended by travellers as having reasonable rates and not ripping tourist off. It is really the city of Tallinn which should address the issue but kudos to the airport for doing something to protect travellers.

I completely agree with "Traveler"! I always appreciated the flexible and intelligent handling of the upper airport lanes. But I must admit, that in the recent months increasingly rip-off taxis appeared at the bus stop area in order to catch innocent visitors and turists. Additionally a second bus company is actively selling expensive bus tickets at the bus stop in order to prevent, that people which don't know the location have a chance to find the the standard city bus. So the fight has to go against rip-off tendencies! This makes a bad impression towards first-time visitors. It is totally unacceptable that the busses will be redirected to the lower area, since on the upper area the travellers were rain- and weather-protected and passengers could wait inside during the winter times watching the bus coming through the large glass windows. I don't know who invented this idea of having the bus in the lower area, but it is quite clear, that this person has never taken a bus by his- or herself! When I want to order a taxi from my taxi company, I also want to wait upstairs under the roof, watching out the number plate and not downstairs in the rain. Waiting downstairs is TOTALLY INACCEPTABLE! The current official companies on the taxi lane are unattractive, so as a result of this decision the upper level will be completely useless. To my point of view, only taxi companies should get a contract/license for the taxi lane, which price is below 50 Cents per km in combination with a basic fee of less that 2,50 EUR. That would be a real improvement! How can I make an attractive airport inattractive? Just go ahead with your plannings! As a german living in Estonia I quite much appreciate the flexible handling and organisation of things in Estonia in comparison to Germany. But the discussed issue is a clear indicator for degeneration and I hope many people will fight against encrustment. Sorry for these clear words, but it is really everything else than an intelligent idea!