All passenger flights from Great Britain suspended for two weeks
All passenger air services from Great Britain to Finland will be suspended for two weeks from 21 December 2020. According to the opinion Traficom received from the Finnish institute of health and welfare (THL), the temporary suspension of passenger air services as a measure is currently in proportion to the nature of the threat in order to restrict the Coronavirus spread.
THL regards in its opinion to Traficom that it is necessary to suspend air passenger services from Great Britain to Finland immediately for two weeks. In relation to the epidemic threat, the measures are in proportion of the nature of the threat. During the next few weeks, we will probably get further information on the nature of the new variant of the virus, its spread and eventual further measures that must be taken. The continuation of passenger air services must be evaluated according to this new information.
Based on THL’s opinion, Traficom has decided to suspend passenger air services from Great Britain to Finland for two weeks from 21 December 2020 at 12:00 to 4 January 2021 at 11:59.
Traficom has issued the decision on the basis of section 167 of the Aviation Act with regard to article 21 of the common rules for the operation of air services in the Community. According to the Regulation, it is possible to refuse or limit conditions on the exercise of traffic rights to deal with sudden problems of short duration resulting from unforeseeable and unavoidable circumstances.
The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency is the competent authority in aviation safety, security in civil aviation and aircraft noise. Traficom may, for reasons of public order and safety, prohibit an aircraft from departing, order it to land, require identification, assign a heading or flight altitude or otherwise intercept an aircraft in flight. According to Section 21 of the Air Service Regulation, a Member State may refuse, limit or impose conditions on the exercise of traffic rights to deal with sudden problems of short duration resulting from unforeseeable and unavoidable circumstances.
Further information
Jarkko Saarimäki, Deputy Director-General, jarkko.saarimaki(at)traficom.fi, Twitter @Saarimaki,
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