Process for obstacle to air navigation permissions to change on 1 September – preliminary assessment required

An obstacle to air navigation can be any object rising from the ground that may interfere with air transport or air navigation facilities, such as buildings, masts, towers, cranes, wind turbines or power lines. Even tall trees may constitute obstacles.

Preliminary assessment required before submitting application to Traficom

Until now, an application for an obstacle permission has been submitted directly to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. From 1 September onwards, the application process will change: before submitting the official application to Traficom, the applicant must request flight procedure designers operating in Finland and the operator of the aerodrome concerned to assess the impacts of the obstacle. These parties may also charge a reasonable fee for their assessments.  

Aerodrome operators and flight procedure designers play a key role

Under the new provisions, the first point of contact in the obstacle permission process will be aerodrome operators and flight procedure designers. Depending on the location of the obstacle, preliminary assessments must be requested directly from Finavia or from other aerodromes, of which there are around 70 in Finland. In addition, an assessment must be requested from either Fintraffic or Aii Air Space Design.  

In some cases, the aerodrome operator may agree directly with the applicant on the establishment of the obstacle and record it in the obstacle register maintained by Traficom. In such cases, the entire process can be handled through the aerodrome. If the obstacle is not located within the area of influence of an aerodrome, no preliminary assessment is required, but an obstacle permission must still be applied for from Traficom.

If the aerodrome operator does not approve the obstacle, the applicant must submit the preliminary assessments as attachments to the obstacle permission application to Traficom. The processing time at Traficom is approximately 45 days.  
 

Typical applicants include construction, wind power and telecommunications companies

The requirement to apply for an obstacle permission applies to all parties that build or erect tall structures in the vicinity of aerodromes. Aerodrome operators and providers of flight procedure design services will guide applicants on how to request a preliminary assessment from them.  

“The new practice ensures that information on the planned structure is analysed first and foremost by the nearest relevant operator. This provides a realistic picture of the effects of the obstacle and the grounds for granting permission right from the start. In some cases, the applicant may agree directly with the aerodrome operator on erecting the obstacle, but in most cases the preliminary assessments form the basis for the obstacle permission application submitted to Traficom. This increases flexibility and transparency in the process,” emphasises Head of Unit Pasi Takala from Traficom.

Information on the locations of aerodromes and flight procedures can be found in the Finnish Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), published by Fintraffic Air Navigation Services. The WGS-84 coordinate system is used as the reference for aeronautical location data.