WINTER CONDITIONS AT FINLAND AIRPORT

SAFETY BULLETIN

20SAB09.2

12 October 2021

Winter Conditions at Finland Airports: requirements for pilots and air operators

Please note: this paper supersedes 19SAB12 – Winter Conditions at Northern Finland Airports, and is an update of 20SAB09 – Winter Conditions at Finland Airports, originally published 2 November 2020.

INTRODUCTION

When pilots think of winter operations, the first things that come to mind are cold temperatures, high winds, frost, snow, ice, and additional time required. There are many other factors to consider and winter flying can create challenges for flight operators. Though these conditions are not always hazardous, they can be if not planned for and managed properly.

Safe winter operations normally require special procedures by airline maintenance, engineering, ground crew, flight crew, and de-icing personnel. In Finland, FINAVIA and TRAFICOM publish an annual Safety Bulletin on winter conditions. The attached Bulletin focuses on operations in northern Finland, but the content is relevant to other locations subject to similar weather. It provides excellent guidance for both flight crews and operators.

ATTACHMENTS

Three (3) page Bulletin,

Winter Conditions at Finland Airports: requirements for pilots and air operators

Helsinki 10 October 2021.

©2021 The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations. This publication is provided for information purposes only, in all cases pilots should follow their company’s guidance and procedures. In the interest of flight safety, reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is encouraged. It may not be offered for sale or used commercially. All reprints must credit IFALPA.

Helsinki, 10th October 2021

Winter conditions at Finland airports – requirements for pilots and air operators Winter conditions at airports in Finland can be - SNOWTAM and ATIS messages may contain very challenging from October to March, when information regarding the take-off significant there is plenty of snow and ice. For safety contaminant (TOSC) on the runway. The usreasons, pilots and air operators with limited age of contaminant reported as take-off sigexperience from difficult winter conditions in nificant must be carefully considered and northern Europe should read these instructions based on the operator's own procedures recarefully. garding its operational utilization.

Airport winter maintenance in Finland is at top - When determining TOSC, the reporting syslevel, and is internationally renowned for its tem collects all contaminants reported on the snowhow. However, the weather and surface runway and divides them into thin (none conditions specially at northern Finland airports drag causing) and thick (drag causing) concan be very difficult. Besides runways, the taminants in respect to airplane perfortaxiways and aprons may also be partly or mance. The system reports TOSC as an addientirely covered with snow and ice, but yet in tional information, in compliance with an inan operable condition. terpretation of the aircraft performance requirements specified by EU-OPS. Airport conditions are reported in Pilots are required to check the content and SNOWTAM messages effect of SNOWTAMs before operating to Airport movement area conditions are reported airports in Finland. It is important to understand using a SNOWTAM message. Some of the most how the reported weather conditions actually important issues to consider are listed below. affect flight operations. Air carriers must ensure that their pilots receive sufficient SNOWTAM

• Runway conditions reporting is based on training. The aim is to time runway Global Reporting Format (GRF). Runway maintenance according to the needs of air Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM) is used traffic. Flight planning must take into account in order to assign the RWYCC and for runway the possibility that the conditions prevailing at surface description. Reported RWYCC and take-off time may be significantly different from contaminant type, coverage and depth are landing time. based upon runway inspector's overall assessment of the surface conditions. Measure- So far there are no Specially prepared winter ments and sensor data may supplement virunway (SPWR) operations in Finland. sual observations. Up-to-date information on runway conditions is
• In SNOWTAM messages, the conditions are available from ATIS or the ATS unit. Airport reported for each third of the runway, beginmaintenance actions can also be requested ning from the smaller runway designator. In where necessary. Sand is not used in Finland to landing instructions provided by ATIS or the improve surface friction. The ATS unit and ATS unit, however, they are given in the diairport maintenance are there at the pilots’ rection of landing. service.
• Winter Operations Bulletin 10th October 2021

En-route and initial approach significantly along the runway length and, in Runway conditions and prevailing weather may some wind conditions, also between the left and vary. Whenever necessary, ask for the latest right side of the runway centerline. information directly from the destination airport in good time. Runway, taxiways and apron Conditions on taxiways and at the apron may Airports may provide AFIS, radar service or differ from those on the runway, usually in the procedural ATC service. The effect of the service lower direction. At the airports operated by level on pilot responsibilities must be noted. At Finavia taxiway and apron conditions are only AFIS airports and airports with procedural ATC, reported when conditions are assessed slippery, for example, pilots are responsible for poor or less than poor. Under such conditions calculating any temperature corrections utmost caution shall be taken when themselves. It is particularly important to take manoeuvring the aircraft.Note that there is account of temperature corrections in cold normally snow and ice on the taxiways and winter conditions. apron, and they can be slippery. In such conditions, it is especially important to prepare Aerodrome Flight Information Service for any movements or changes well in advance.

(AFIS)

At some airports, the apron or aircraft stands Some Finnish airports are not providing air may be on sloping ground, which means that traffic control service, but only have an AFIS parking brakes must be used. Check the need unit that provides Aerodrome Flight Information for using brakes from airport ground services. Services. The AFIS unit reports any known traffic, and the pilot-in-command is responsible It is important to note that freezing for maintaining safe distance to other traffic temperatures may affect brakes and other based on these reports and in compliance with aircraft devices. the Rules of the Air. Pilots are also required to report their own intentions. The AFIS unit is Passengers must also be warned that the apron responsible for the use of any necessary may be slippery. aerodrome equipment, and for controlling vehicle traffic. De-icing and anti-icing In winter, operators must identify the possible Operational procedures for AFIS aerodromes need for aircraft de-icing on the ground, make are described in section GEN 3.3, paragraph 3.1 sure that de-icing services are available, and of the Aeronautical Information Publication, AIP verify that their aircrews are appropriately Finland. Please read them before operating to trained also for de-icing operations on the any AFIS aerodrome. ground.

Approach and landing Under challenging winter conditions, proper de- To minimize the risk of runway excursion, it is icing is an essential element of flight safety. essential to make sure that the approach is When there is reason to suspect that frost, ice stabilized, especially when approaching a or snow is adhering to aircraft surfaces, the runway with Runway Condition Code need for de-icing must be determined. This RWYCC = 3 or lower. In some cases (available) must be done from a point offering good runway width may be less than in AIP visibility of the aircraft surfaces. Once the need published nominal width. for de-icing has been determined, the pilot-incommand is responsible for deciding whether The decision on making a go-around must be de-icing treatment is necessary. made early in case of any signs of an unstabilized approach. It is also important to The ‘Clean Aircraft Concept’ ensures safe flight note that the touchdown zone markings may operations. In all operations, the pilot-innot be fully visible. command is responsible for assessing whether the aeroplane is safe. The aircrew and ground When there are reported deposits (e.g. snow or maintenance personnel must still report and ice) on the runway, friction may vary

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Winter Operations Bulletin 10th October 2021

anything that may affect flight safety. Open Nordic Significant Weather Chart including for communication is vital, and all matters affecting example icing forecast can be found from airworthiness must be communicated to the ilmailusaa.fi which is the official service for pilot-in-command in a clear and brief manner. aeronautical meteorological services.

It is crucial that the aeroplane must not take off As additional services FMI provides EFHK if the pilot-in-command has not been able to Weather Display for Helsinki Airport and assess whether the aeroplane is free of frost, AWOSVIEW for other airport to view real-time ice and snow. This requirement can also be met observations. Airport Forecast is produced to by having the aeroplane checked by personnel Helsinki Airport which is a specialized forecast with relevant training and ratings. to support interpreting weather conditions. FMI has also developed Winter Weather forecast Any contamination observed before a flight can products related to icing and de-icing to users be removed by applying a hot de-icing fluid that across Europe. Products are SWIM compliant will melt and flush off ice and snow deposits. and can be found via Moreover, anti-icing fluid may be sprayed on https://eur-registry.swim.aero/services. critical surfaces before take-off to prevent new formations of frost and ice. Further information

Further information on winter operations can be The pilot-in-command must check the hold-over found at https://www.ais.fi/en. times of de-icing fluids from the tables available. It is important to ensure ‘Clean - Finland’s Aeronautical Information Publica- Aircraft Concept’ also during departure taxing tion (AIP Finland), section AD 1.2 and specifand take off regardless of the weather. ically for each airport.

• Finnish Meteorological Institute aeronautical Weather services supporting operameteorological services ilmailu@fmi.fi tions in winter conditions Finnish Meteorological Institute provides aeronautical meteorological services in Finland.

Have a safe flying season and welcome to airports in Finland! This information leaflet was drafted jointly by Finavia Corporation, Lappeenranta, Mikkeli and Seinäjoki airports, Finnair, Norra, Fintraffic ANS, Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom), which is the civil aviation authority of Finland.

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