Flying drones near airports and in controlled airspace
1 General information
The instructions on this site are based on the following laws and regulations:
- Aviation Act (864/2014)
- ASM Operations Manual
- Government Decree on areas where aviation is restricted
- Commission implementing regulation (EU) 2019/947
In addition to the laws and regulations mentioned above, all users of model aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles should be aware of legislation concerning safety and the protection of privacy. For more information on regulations and policies related to flying a drone, please visit Traficom’s droneinfo website.
2 Flying a drone with a visual line of sight (VLOS and EVLOS) in the vicinity of controlled airports
When flying a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) or a model aircraft weighing more than 250 g outdoors based on a visual line of sight (VLOS or EVLOS) in the vicinity of airports, you need to check whether flying the drone requires permission from the air traffic services.
Flying a drone in the area close to Jyväskylä and Utti airports (RMZ) must always be agreed on separately, irrespective of the drone’s flying height and flying area. Flying a drone close to the other airports must be agreed on in advance only if you wish to fly the remotely piloted aircraft or model aircraft without adhering to the distance-based altitude limitations. If you comply with the limitations set out in the regulation, no separate notification will be required.
Please note that when the airport is closed, the area close to the airport is still a RMZ area and subject to the same altitude and distance-based limitations.
Examples of situations requiring a separate notification and permission:
• you wish to fly the drone closer to the airport than 1 km from the edge of the runways
• you wish to fly the drone within 1–3 km from the edges of the runway, higher than 15 metres above a nearby obstacle
• you wish to fly the drone in the airport’s controlled traffic region (CTR) flight information zone (FIZ or RMZ) at a distance or more than 3 km from the edge of the runway at an altitude higher than 50 metres from the ground or water level
• you wish to fly the drone in a model flying area in accordance with the AIC publication, located in the CTR or the FIZ, deviating from the points above
• you wish to fly the drone under the terminal manoeuvring area (TMA) of the airport at an altitude reaching the controlled airspace.
2.1 Keep in mind
• The pilot of an unmanned aerial vehicle is always obligated to monitor the airspace and give way to other air traffic. A flight permission granted by the air traffic service unit does not remove the pilot’s obligation to give way.
• Several pilots can fly their drones in the same flying area. The air navigation unit is not obligated to inform pilots of other drones flying in the area. Avoiding a collision is the pilots’ own responsibility in this case as well.
• At Helsinki Airport, flying permissions diverging from the permit areas set in the aviation regulation can be granted very rarely and only for justifiable reasons due to traffic arrangements.
• The drone pilot is personally responsible for coordinating the flight with the uncontrolled aerodromes in the vicinity of the flying area. The air traffic service units will not coordinate flights with other parties.
• A flight permission granted by the air traffic service unit does not remove the pilot’s obligation to comply with the regulations set out in the Government Decree regarding areas where aviation is restricted. The pilot is responsible for obtaining the necessary permits.
• Flying in the ADIZ border zone along the eastern border requires an RPAS flight plan before flying in the area. The flight plan must be submitted one (1) hour before the planned flight. For instructions on how to make an RPAS flight plan, please visit https://www.ais.fi/en/lennonvalmistelu
2.2 Reporting your drone flight to ATS
The form designed for reporting your drone flight must always be delivered to the airport’s air traffic service unit at least two (2) weekdays before the flight. At Helsinki Airport, the deadline is five (5) weekdays before the flight. The processing of forms received past the deadline cannot be guaranteed. The deadlines do not apply to urgent flights conducted by the authorities.
If you have not received a response from the air traffic service service unit to a form you have submitted, you must comply with the terms and conditions of the aviation regulation. The opening hours of air navigation units are available at www.ais.fi/en (AIP’s airport-specific text-only pages or with a NOTAM bulletin).
The air traffic service unit may at any time prohibit the flight, propose a new date and/or time or add terms and conditions. For this reason, the pilot is responsible for being available via telephone throughout the flight.
Report your flight using this form. Attach a map marking the desired flight area in your application.
Until further notice, there is no charge for filing the application.
Maps and contact information of airports:
Please note that email adresses have changed 25 January 2023!
Helsinki Airport
• VAC map
e-mail efhk.drone(at)fintraffic.fi
Enontekiö
• VAC map
e-mail ansefetats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)16‐554 8420
Halli
• VAC map
e-mail ansefetats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)3‐532 0071
Ivalo
• VAC map
e-mail ansefivats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)16‐675 8620
Joensuu
• VAC map
e-mail ansefjoats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)13‐611 7020
Jyväskylä
• VAC map
e-mail ansefjyats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)14‐445 5880
Kajaani
• VAC map
e-mail ansefkiats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)8‐689 7520
Kemi
• VAC map
e-mail ansefkeats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)16‐211 8720
Kittilä
• VAC map
e-mail ansefkeats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)16‐366 8920
Kokkola-Pietarsaari
• VAC map
e-mail ansefkkats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)6‐869 6820
Kuopio
• VAC map
e-mail ansefkuats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)17‐580 7261
Kuusamo
• VAC map
e-mail ansefksats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)8‐851 8820
Lappeenranta
• VAC map
e-mail anseflpats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)5‐680 6321
Mariehamn
• VAC map
e-mail ansefmaats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)18‐63 4420
Oulu
• VAC map
e-mail ansefouats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)8‐880 7804
Pori
• VAC map
e-mail ansefpoats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)2‐6100 6050
Rovaniemi
• VAC map
e-mail ansefroats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)16‐363 6612
Savonlinna
• VAC map
e-mail ansefsaats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)15‐411 8120
Tampere-Pirkkala
• VAC map
e-mail anseftpats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)3‐383 5433
Turku
• VAC map
e-mail anseftuats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)2‐415 4801
Utti
• VAC map
e-mail ansefutats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)5‐340 8320
Vaasa
• VAC map
e-mail ansefvaats(at)fintraffic.fi, tel. +358 (0)6‐212 6120
3 Flying a drone beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS)
When operating outside visual line of sight or otherwise contrary to the general conditions stipulated by the Commission implementing regulation (EU) 2019/947 or contrary to the general conditions issued in the enforcement decree, the pilots of remotely piloted aircraft (RPAS actors), i.e. pilots flying an unmanned aerial vehicle professionally, may apply for an establishment of a temporary danger area from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) or the Airspace Management Cell (AMC) in accordance with section 3.10.2 of the ASM Operations Manual. Instruction for applying for a danger area established by the AMC can be found under Reserving an airspace.
4 Geofencing certificates
Upon a pilot’s request, Fintraffic ANS may grant a geofencing dismantling certificate for geofences in the vicinity of airports.
The certificate is only granted for a period of time necessary for the flight operation. Permanent dismantling permits can only be granted to authorities.
Fintraffic ANS will have the right to collect a fee for the certificate in accordance with its terms and conditions of service. The fee is EUR 120 (+VAT 24%).
Submit your request via e-mail to kehitys@fintraffic.fi. The requests are processed within five (5) weekdays.
The following information shall be provided with the application:
- Name and contact of the customer
- Type and serial number of the drone
- The airport near which the flight takes place
- Coordinates where the flight takes place in WGS84 format
- Requested radius around the place where the flight takes place
- Planned time of the flight