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Vuosikertomuksen kansikuva

Fintraffic ANS’s Annual Report 2022 has been published

In 2022, our operations were characterised by adjusting service production to meet a decrease in air traffic. Although the impacts of the pandemic have already eased, the war in Ukraine has reduced overflights in Finnish airspace. Sanctions prevent Russian and Western airlines from overflying each other’s airspace, and air traffic between Europe and Asia is forced to circumvent Russia. Overflights made by wide-body aircraft ceased almost entirely in Finland.

In terms of the year as a whole, the number of flights in Finnish airspace was about 30 per cent less than in 2019. Adjustments were implemented as planned: we achieved the performance and safety targets set by the authorities, as well as official targets for capacity maintenance and environmental efficiency. However, our result remained negative in spite of these adjustment measures. In 2022, traffic volumes for air route services (service unit) stood at about 60 per cent of the last pre-pandemic year (2019). Charter traffic picked up at the turn of the year in the north, where traffic volumes reached pre-pandemic levels.

The full-year volume of international air traffic in 2022 stood at about 69 per cent of 2019 levels, although it reached 85 per cent towards the end of the year thanks to good trends in Christmas flights to Lapland. The full-year volume of domestic traffic was 66 per cent of 2019 levels but reached almost 80 per cent towards the end of the year.

Progress in strategic projects

Safety is always our number-one priority. And we do not compromise on punctuality or environ - mental efficiency either. Route optimisation, continuous descent approaches and close inter - national cooperation are just some of the means we use to reduce emissions. Continuous descent approaches are always optimised at our network airports. Thanks to the continuous descent approach procedure used at Helsinki Airport, arriving flights are some of the most energy efficient in Europe.

Environmental issues are playing an increasingly larger role in air traffic at EU level and sustainability and energy efficiency will be significant drivers in the development of both airspace usage and our own operations.

We are engaging in groundbreaking cooperation with Finnair in the Perfect Flight project. Our cooperation seeks to reduce fuel and carbon dioxide emissions by finding ways to optimise flight routes from an environmental perspective.

Fintraffic Air Navigation continued to prepare a cross-border air navigation service in collab[1]oration with Estonian Air Navigation Services (EANS). Our original aim was to implement the programme by Spring 2022 but the cross-border operation was postponed.

The Multi Remote Operating Tower (MROT) was examined from the perspectives of concept specification and profitability with suppliers and the airport company Finavia. This preparatory work will enable Finavia and Fintraffic to make a joint decision on whether to launch the project.

Fintraffic’s Avia College won a tender issued by Avinor, Norway’s air navigation service provider, and will now train more than a hundred Norwegian air navigation professionals in 2023–2025.

The increasing proliferation of drones has led to a need for new services and low-altitude air traffic control. For our part, we are preparing for the international and national U-Space regulation, which will come into force in January 2023.

In spite of the exceptional circumstances, we have continued to develop our digital situational picture for air navigation and our other services by, for example, doing preparatory work for aeronautical information services for airspace users. Also in the pipeline are an aviation situational awareness application (which Fintraffic will launch in 2023) and a digital flight preparation app for general aviation.

According to the results of our 2022 customer satisfaction survey, our strengths are: compliance with safety requirements, customer service, and a high standard of operations at the Area Control Centre and in the Airspace Management Cell (AMC). Our cooperation with the State and military aviation is also at an excellent level. In addition to indicating the successful areas of air navigation services, the customer satisfaction survey plays an important role in the improvement of the services. The responses serve as a basis for identifying any development needs so that the air navigation services can be improved even further.

It was necessary to continue with personnel layoffs throughout the year. Personnel were supported in various ways, such as with occupational healthcare services, and we will continue to invest in job satisfaction.

I would like to thank our clients for the excellent cooperation during the whole year. Fintraffic ANS employees also deserve a special thank you for their excellent work. We ensure safety, we care, and we point the way. Together. Let’s make next year better

Raine Luojus
CEO

The whole report is published here Fintraffic ANS Annual Report 2022

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