A harmonised operating model is being developed for Finnish coastal merchant fairways, further securing the flow of special transports with safety zones. The new safety zones will be introduced at the beginning of January for designated Tornio and HaminaKotka fairways used by LNG tankers.
New safety zones will soon be introduced for large LNG carriers operating in Tornio and HaminaKotka merchant shipping fairways.
“The purpose of the safety zones is to ensure safer passage for special transports. A dedicated safety zone is established around LNG carriers, and no vessels are allowed to enter it without separate permission. This procedure ensures unhindered navigation for special transports on busy lanes or conditions that require special caution,” states Esa Kallio, Development Manager at the Fintraffic’s Vessel Traffic Services.
The safety zones were first introduced in Finland for the Inkoo fairway in October 2024 for large LNG carriers. The operating model is extended on 1 January 2026 to cover the Tornio, Hamina-Kotka and Kotka Mussalo fairways.
The safety zones ensure the safe passage of special transports by organizing other traffic in the area. Fintraffic’s VTS Centre establishes safety zones on a case-by-case basis when required by the traffic situation, such as congestion or some other factor that limits or endangers traffic. The VTS Centre also supervises and controls traffic in the area. For more details on safety zones and other traffic regulations, please see Fintraffic's Master's Guide service.
Fintraffic’s Vessel Traffic Services ensure the uninterrupted operation of foreign trade and domestic shipping on Finland’s shipping lanes. Fintraffic’s VTS Centres ensure that shipping operates safely, smoothly and without disruptions on a 24/7 basis. Finland is a pioneer in securing merchant shipping, as its entire coastline is under merchant shipping management and control. This means that any merchant vessels arriving on the Finnish coast, such as tankers, freighters and passenger ships, are subject to Vessel Traffic Centre control. Vessels navigating along the Finnish coast must maintain uninterrupted on-call communications in the working channel in the area and comply with any regulations concerning its operation, including safety zones.
