Technical systems in air navigation

Modern technical information systems are a prerequisite in modern air traffic control environments: they enable high-quality operations at the right scale.

At Finavia, around 100 employees work in technical air navigation services, of whom 70 are in the centralised technical services unit. The unit is responsible for the maintenance of the hardware systems used at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and by regional air navigation as well as for the national development of the systems.

The technical personnel working in air navigation stationed at the airports are responsible for maintenance work on the navigation and air traffic control systems of their own airport area under the direction of the centralised services unit.

International regulations

The international air transport system and successful data transfer between the different air traffic control units is based on data transmission compatibility between the technical systems. All pilots must be able to use the same navigation, communication and approach aids, irrespective of their nationality.

For these reasons, technical air navigation systems are heavily regulated under standards and regulations of the international aviation organisations the ICAO and Eurocontrol as well as the EU.

High-level safety objectives are set for the reliability of the systems. Regular inspections are required for all technical radio systems in order to verify the quality of the message transmitted and, in addition, internal monitoring mechanisms have been installed in them to continuously monitor the quality of the signal. The reliability of all technical hardware systems is monitored continuously and safety checks always form an integral part of making changes to the systems.