The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom has launched a call for tenders for the procurement of scheduled air services to five regional centres. The subsidised routes are Helsinki–Joensuu, Helsinki–Jyväskylä, Helsinki–Kajaani, Helsinki–Kokkola-Pietarsaari and Helsinki–Kemi-Tornio. Air services will be procured from 29 April 2024 to 28 March 2026.
"By procuring air transport, we can ensure the necessary connectivity between Helsinki and regional airports. The aim is to achieve market-based scheduled air services for these routes, eliminating the need for state subsidies,” says Director Pipsa Eklund.
The tender procedure is based on an appropriation of EUR 38 million for procuring regional flights until March 2026 and for supporting the route between Pori and Helsinki in 2025. The appropriation was decided in the government budget session in September. In next year’s budget proposal, an appropriation of EUR 15 million has been presented for regional flights.
Current subsidised scheduled air services to five regional airports end at the end of April next year.
Procurement based on public service obligation
As the procurement of air services is state-subsidised, Traficom imposes a public service obligation for the routes in question. The public service obligation requires, for example, that travelling the route in question takes over 3 hours using other means of transport. The schedules have been made based on the needs of each region. The level of service for the routes is approximately 10 weekly round-trip services.
The contract notice has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union. All documents concerning the tender procedure and information on the public service obligation are available on the Traficom website (External link).
Tenders can be submitted by all air carriers that are established in the European Union and meet the minimum criteria of the procedure.
Enquiries
Pipsa Eklund, Director, pipsa.eklund@traficom.fi, tel. +358 29 534 5396