Trees will be removed from the Ramsholmen area, which is owned by the Government of Åland. The work is scheduled for mid-December, during week 51. Managing obstacle trees is an important part of ensuring flight safety.
For safety reasons, the walking and outdoor trail in the Ramsholmen nature reserve will be closed during tree removal in week 51.
"As the land administrator, the Government of Åland is responsible for both flight safety and the unique nature of Ramsholmen. That is why this work is carried out preventively, with great care and in close cooperation with Finavia and experts. In this way, we ensure both the future of air traffic and the area’s natural values," says Camilla Gunell, Minister of Infrastructure and Climate for the Government of Åland.
The plan for the measures has been prepared in cooperation between the Government of Åland and Finavia. The area south of the airport runway is part of a Natura site, which is why special attention has been paid to planning the work.
"Flight safety must be considered in all situations. One concrete way to ensure safety is to make sure that trees at the end of the runway do not grow too tall and create an obstacle for arriving and departing aircraft. The removal of trees will take into account Ramsholmen’s special natural values," says Tanja Sabel, Airport Manager at Mariehamn Airport, Finavia.
Flight safety regulations define the permitted tree height
Removing trees from the so-called obstacle limitation surfaces around airports is a normal procedure that is repeated whenever tree height reaches the limiting level. The activity is regulated by standards published by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Both EASA and, nationally, Traficom are responsible for regulating and supervising flight safety.
EASA’s standards and the corresponding national aviation regulations require airport operators to ensure that the airport area and surrounding terrain are free of obstacles, including growing trees. The EASA standards include obstacle limitation surfaces that protect flight operations and define how high objects, including trees, may extend into the airspace at and around airports.
