Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services in brief

Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services provides vessel traffic services to merchant shipping and other marine traffic and maintains safety radio operations.

VTS monitors maritime traffic 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Its mission is to ensure safe and smooth maritime traffic and to protect the marine environment.

VTS informs vessels about other traffic and matters which affect vessels’ safe navigation, such as weather and ice conditions and defective aids to navigation. VTS also organizes traffic and gives navigational assistance, when necessary. In addition, Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services maintains safety radio communications along the Finnish coast as well as distress and safety radio communications in the Saimaa deep water fairway.

In Finland, Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services’ two VTS Centres are responsible for vessel traffic service. The surveillance areas of the centres cover all coastal merchant shipping fairways as well as the Saimaa deep water fairway. In addition, Helsinki Traffic, which operates in the Gulf of Finland VTS Centre, monitors the international waters of the Gulf of Finland in cooperation with Russia and Estonia.

In addition to international cooperation, the VTS centres pursue close cooperation with the authorities, ports and other partners. If necessary, VTS provides assistance to the authorities and oversee compliance with the Pilotage Act.

Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services employs nearly 100 seafaring professionals.

Executive Board and Board of Directors

Executive Board:

  • Rami Metsäpelto, CEO
  • Sari Talja, Chief Operating Officer 
  • Jouni Patrakka, Director, Systems and Services
  • Jorma Timonen, Safety Manager
  • Kati Westerlund, Quality Manager 
  • Hanna Linjos-Maunula, VTS Manager Western Finland VTS Centre
  • Samu Koski, VTS Manager Gulf of Finland VTS Centre
  • Noora Stenlund, HR Manager
  • Outi Huhtala, Communication Manager
  • Tuukka Hyytiäinen, Chief Financial Officer

Board of Directors:

  • Chairman:  Pertti Korhonen
  • Members: Päivi Söderholm, Kimmo Mäki, Rami Metsäpelto and Ilkka Virtanen