Finavia launches planning for more effective air navigation services

Finavia's estimate is that if implemented, the planned reorganisation would reduce a combined total of about 70 person-work-years in the area control centre in Tampere and the briefing service units in Vantaa and at the Malmi airport in Helsinki. The implementation schedule of the planned reorganisation will be specified further in the negotiations. The goal is to conclude them by 14 June 2013. The process will also investigate whether similar savings are possible by other means. ”The fact that flight ticket prices have decreased on many routes has meant that airlines have started to look for cost savings throughout their service chain. In addition, the EU has a strong objective to cut air space management costs in Europe. For Finavia to keep Finnish air space management effective and the services provided for airlines competitive and safe, we, together with the staff, must try to find new ways of improving the efficiency of our operations. This is a matter of Finnish air traffic coping with international competition," says Kari Savolainen, CEO of Finavia. According to the EU's performance capacity requirements for air navigation services, Finavia must annually improve the cost efficiency rate of air navigation by 1.7% in 2012–2014. Finavia has not met the goal. Finavia is one of the most effective service providers in air navigation in Europe, but the production of air navigation services is making a loss due to the small traffic volume in Finland. The financial challenge is also added to by the fact that the volume of commercial air traffic landings in Finland decreased by 9.7% in January–March compared to the same period last year. Planned changes to Finavia's area control centre functions The planned centralisation of area control services and related supports functions to Vantaa would improve the efficiency of air navigation. It is estimated that savings would be achieved in technical maintenance, premises, reorganisation of work, and in other support functions. Savings would be achieved as area control would constitute a more compact unit with the air traffic control of Helsinki Airport. If implemented, the plan would improve property efficiency as Helsinki Airport has suitable facilities for area control, and the use of the facilities can be made more effective. Due to the location of the facilities and the technical air navigation systems in them, it is only appropriate to use the facilities for air control purposes. The negotiations concern all Finavia employees working in Aitovuori, Tampere. The current estimate is that the operational reorganisation of the air navigation business would possibly reduce employment by a maximum of 40 person-work-years. It is also possible that employee duties will change. "In the negotiations, we want to carry out an open discussion with our staff on the possible ways of improving operational efficiency, and whether other means can be found. It is understandable that the necessary needs for changes cause concern among our staff, and that is why we will do everything we can in order to find operating efficiency solutions which are also reasonable from our employees' standpoint," says Raine Luojus, director in charge of Finavia's air navigation services. Planned changes to Finavia's briefing services The goal of Finavia is to improve the efficiency of air navigation support services. The negotiations will find out the preconditions for an air navigation service cooperation project, where the air navigation services required by Finavia would – to an increasing extent – be produced in cooperation with one or more air navigation service supplier. The plan is to merge the remaining briefing services to the air traffic control unit of Helsinki Airport. The negotiations apply to all employees of the briefing unit in Helsinki and Vantaa. The current estimate is that the operational reorganisation of the operations would possibly reduce employment by about 30 person-work-years.