In 2003 the Ministry of Transport and Communications set
up a committee especially to study the changes required
as a result of the new state enterprise Act. The most evident
change recommended by the committee was that the official
functions should be transferred to a separate aviation body
independent of the CAA. This would at the same time entail
a thorough overhaul of aviation regulations, since both
the aviation Act and the Civil Aviation Administration Act
would have to be renewed. The timetable of the state enterprise
Act requires that the reforms would have to be carried out
by the beginning of 2005.
The duties of the new authority and the resources it would
require were worked out during 2004 and preparations were
made for the complete overhaul of the legislation. At the
same time, the physical location of the new organisation
was examined, the biggest challenge being the availability
of staff with international standards of qualifications.
In Finland, the full range of aviation expertise, including
such aspects as flight operations, maintenance and air navigation
services and their respective training facilities, can only
be found in the capital region.
At the moment preparations are being made for loc-ating
the offices for the roughly 140-staff authority in premises
previously occupied by the CAA near Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.
The new authority will draw its staff from the current official
arms of the CAA which are the Flight Safety Authority and
the Air Transport Authority.
It is intended that the new authority will be financed
partly through customer fees, partly through the government
budget and partly from tax-type levies from the aviation
sector.
As far as the CAA is concerned the separation means that
it will have to emphasise its commercial aspects.
This will undoubtedly become evident in both its domestic
and international relations. The role of Finnish aviation
authority will transfer to a new body whereas the CAA enterprise
will concentrate on providing services. Both organisations
will continue to require a high level of expertise.
