Finavia negotiations concluded

The specific schedule of the relocation has not been defined yet because the project is rather large and all changes related to it will be implemented by taking flight safety into account. The changes are subject to approval by the authorities.

All air traffic controllers based in the Tampere Area Control Centre will be offered posts of area controller in Vantaa. The goal is to find and offers jobs from other air navigation units for the air navigation technology personnel, air control operators and the Area Control Centre's office staff. It is likely that up to 19 employees will have to be made redundant upon the relocation if no replacement work is found.

"We will do our best to support our staff in the relocation. Possible staff reductions and job relocation to another city are always unfortunate but in the changing operating environment of air traffic and air navigation, we have to do this if we want to secure long-term know-how in the sector," says Raine Luojus, Air Navigation Director at Finavia.

"The decline in the prices of flight tickets, the changes in the European competitive situation, and the fact that air navigation operations in Finland are showing a loss, force us to produce air navigation services more efficiently. However, in addition to more efficient operations, the centralisation of area control will also provide other benefits. For example, producing air traffic control services in exceptional situations will be even safer as the backup facilities and technical systems of area control are already located in Vantaa. Our estimate is that the centralisation of operations will improve flight safety, the level of which is already high. At the same time, the cooperation between area control and Helsinki Airport's air traffic control will become even closer," says Mr. Luojus.

Negotiations concerning air navigation services

In May 2013, in addition to the negotiations concerning area control, Finavia also launched negotiations concerning air navigation services, which were concluded on 1 July 2013. Finavia is planning the partial transfer of the services at the air navigation service unit to an external service provider. The final transfer decision will be made during autumn 2013. It is estimated that some of the services provided by Finavia's air navigation services will be transferred to an external service provider by the start of 2015.

The goal is to find and offer jobs to operative air navigation staff in other Finavia units. It is likely that up to 28 employees will be made redundant if no replacement work is found. Other smaller effects may be supervisor changes, job description re-specification and work hour arrangements.

Background

On 3 May 2013, Finavia launched negotiations concerning the reorganisation of its air navigation business. The negotiations covered the relocation of the Tampere Area Control Centre and related support functions to Vantaa, and the partial transfer of the air navigation service unit's services to an external service provider.

In the air traffic service chain, air navigation is the last to be included in the sector's extensive transition where it is absolutely necessary to renew operating methods. 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.

The Area Control Centre Finland coordinates overflights in Finnish airspace and air route traffic between different airports. The Area Control Centre Finland processes about 270,000 flights per year, the majority of which consists of flights related to Helsinki Airport.

Air navigation services provide airlines and pilots with material required for flight preparations. The unit also receives and inspects flight plans.

More information is available in the press release published on 25 April 2012: http://www.finavia.fi/medialle/tiedotearkisto/finavia_tiedotteet/finavi….