Best air navigation service in Europe in a cost-effective, punctual and environmentally friendly manner
Air traffic ensures that both Finland as a whole and its various regions remain easily accessible. Under normal circumstances, air navigation services are provided to about 270,000 flights per year by the Area Control Centre and to about 190,000 operations per year at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. There are 500 aircraft movements (take-offs and landings) at Helsinki-Vantaa each day, on average.
“Safety is always our number-one priority. We also never compromise on our punctuality or environmental efficiency goals, in respect of which we aim to be the best in Europe. Although we operate at an extremely high level of quality, we do not claim to be the best in the world, because that would be difficult to prove. Making comparisons at the European level is easier, because the European Commission sets goals for the providing of air navigation services,” says Raine Luojus, CEO of Fintraffic Air Navigation Services.
The European Commission sets goals for safety, cost-efficiency, punctuality and environmental efficiency. How Fintraffic Air Navigation Services performs in respect of these parameters is measured against its peer group, i.e. the national air navigation services in Ireland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
Continuing development to improve competitiveness
Before the pandemic, Finland had the best international connections in northern Europe. Our customers principally expect air traffic in Finland to run smoothly and without delays and interruptions, but they also expect our services to be competitive.
Operators in air navigation services and elsewhere in the aviation industry must explore ways to improve the quality and efficiency of services in the post-pandemic environment. Our strategic projects excellently reinforce and promote our efforts in respect of these and all other goals set for us. Our solutions for improving competitiveness include introducing Multi Remote Operating Towers (MROT), pursuing closer cooperation with other air navigation service providers (FINEST project) and addressing administration of a Low Altitude Airspace Management network.
Investments in digital service development in air navigation services are increasing year on year. Although digital data has long been available in the aviation industry, it has so far not been structured and centralised. There are aviation services that have been available online for a while, such as aeronautical information services (ais.fi) and air traffic obstacle consultation service. For drone pilots, we offer registration services, guidance and processing of flying permits.
The aim is to create a one-stop shop for services for pilots or other operators.
“Early in the year, we introduced a drone pilot registration service online with Traficom. Next year, we will increase our range of digital airspace use services, with a situational picture of the airspace and flight preparation services becoming available. Then, real-time information, such as weather data, airport services and opening hours, and any airport maintenance work or exceptional circumstances that may affect flying, can be found in one place. Pilots will also be able to check airspace reservations with the aid of a digital map. This will enable them to choose a safe route that, for example, avoids military training grounds,” says Luojus.
We also intend to further process the data we produce and process in accordance with the mandate given to Fintraffic as a whole by the government in order to further develop digital services in the transport sector.
Air navigation services are also sold commercially in Europe. We handle technical COM and NAV maintenance services at five aerodromes in Sweden: Kalmar, Karlstad, Jönköping, Norrköping, Skellefteå.
We have an internationally very high reputation as a provider of air navigation training services. In recent years, we have trained air traffic controllers from Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg and Bosnia-Herzegovina in addition to Finnish ones.
Most environmentally friendly airspace in Europe
We do many things in our day-to-day work to make air traffic in Finland as environmentally friendly as possible. One of our basic duties is to ensure compliance with the environmental permit requirements for aircraft noise.
Route optimisation, continuous descent approaches and close international cooperation are ways of reducing emissions. Aerodromes in our network always optimise approaches, and our continuous descent approaches at Helsinki-Vantaa are among the best in Europe (source: CANSO).
In addition to the above, we have entered into a unique collaboration with Finnair, the national airline, to leverage data integration to perform analyses to foster improved environmental efficiency in air traffic.
