Overview
Airports are pivotal to the provision of air transport services. Finland currently has 24 airports that are operated by Finavia; in addition there is a foundation-operated airport in Seinäjoki and a municipal airport in Mikkeli. Helsinki Airport is the only profitable airport in the Finavia network: revenue from Helsinki is used to finance the entire network.
Finland’s new air transport strategy has been developed in broad stakeholder consultation in accordance with guidelines laid down in the Government’s April 2012 transport policy report to Parliament.
The strategy describes the current state of aviation and its component areas, reviews the key challenges that lie ahead, and outlines future directions for development in the various areas of aviation, that is, the airport network and air transport service standards, air transport charges and subsidies, air navigation services, aviation safety, aviation security, environmental issues, training, ground-handling services and unmanned aerial vehicles. A more extensive background report (Publications of the Ministry of Transport and Communications 2b/2015, available only in Finnish) contains a more detailed analysis of these areas of aviation and the various factors having an impact on them.
Civil aviation security procedures are designed to prevent illegal acts that might put the safety of civil aviation at risk. These procedures are applied to control both airports, aircraft, persons and goods. Aviation security provisions are administered by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Union.
To achieve the best possible cost-benefit ratio, serious consideration is now being given to the introduction of risk-based security measures and international harmonisation. Risk-based security means relaxing procedures in low threat scenarios and stepping up security in instances where there is a greater threat. Based on risk assessments it should be possible to create a system that distinguishes between different security levels. Security measures would then be defined and adapted based on that identified level. Criteria would be established for the definition of each security level, together with criteria and procedures for the security measures to be implemented at those different levels.