17.02.2010

Flying is a sensible form of public transport

Finavia’s campaign “Sensible public transport” has been launched in Finland. The aim of Finavia’s campaign is to remind the public about how environmentally efficient air travel is and its importance as a form of public transport, especially for domestic travel and connecting to foreign flights.

“Air traffic is very important for Finland’s economy and people’s mobility. The network of 25 airports maintained by Finavia is comprehensive and links the regions of Finland to each other, as well as Finland to the world,” says Samuli Haapasalo, Finavia’s President and CEO.

Environmentally efficient use of airspace. The aviation infrastructure is light in comparison to forms of transport by land, as a flight needs only six kilometres of road. An energy-efficient fleet of aircraft appropriate for the distances flown is used in Finland.

Emissions and fuel consumption during aircraft landings can also be reduced using the Continuous Descent Approach.

“People have strong opinions about the environmental efficiency of flying. For example, the fuel consumption of a turboprop aircraft on a domestic trip is 2.5 to 3 litres per hundred kilometres per passenger for a full aircraft. This raises the question of how much your car would consume,” says Finavia’s Environmental Director Mikko Viinikainen.

Modern propeller and jet aircraft consume considerably less fuel than before; fuel consumption has decreased by 70% per seat in the last 40 years.

“In Finland, flying as a form of public transport offers a sensible alternative form of travel, especially for travelling medium-long distances and to Northern Finland,” says Viinikainen.

Aviation bears its responsibility. Domestic and foreign air traffic will become part of the EU’s emissions trading scheme in 2012 as a forerunner for all forms of transport. Emissions trading aims to reduce emissions in a cost effective way.

Finavia’s aim in terms of its role as a maintainer of airports is to ensure safe, regular and economical air transport that puts as little pressure on the environment as possible.

Finavia is reducing the direct environmental impacts arising from its own activities at the airports. In addition, Finavia guides the operations of its customers to reduce environmental harm. Finavia continuously monitors the environmental impacts of airports and air traffic and reports on these to the authorities.

The "Flying is a sensible form of public transport" campaign will run at four airports: Kuopio, Oulu, Rovaniemi and Tampere-Pirkkala.

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