In March 2004, the European Parliament and council approved
a package of regulations on common European airspace, called
the Single European Sky (SES). One of the purposes of the
SES is to optimise airspace use in order to minimise congestion
and delays as far as possible.
This will affect the CAA in future in that it will, for
example, have to obtain a certificate for offering air navigation
services. During 2004, the European commission, in cooperation
with the SES committee of representatives of member states,
has prepared a series of criteria for permits, which must
be adhered to by all EU countries. The idea is that operational
safety and efficiency will increase when all service providers
follow the standards agreed by the ICAO as well as the more
detailed European rules.
The new aviation authority to be set up in Finland will
handle air navigation certification. The certification requirement
will come into force a year after the criteria are ratified,
which at present appears to be about the middle of 2006.
As far as the SES is concerned, the reform of the Finnish
Civil Aviation Administration will clarify matters because
the CAA will be able to concentrate on providing services
while the new authority will supervise activities and act
as the official certification body. The great challenge,
however, lies in procuring sufficient resources and expertise
both for the provision of services and for the official
functions.
