Runway: the Finnair blog

Occasionally, the airline passenger finds himself/herself in the unfortunate situation of discovering that the flight is delayed because of a technical reason. The text appearing on the screen or the announcement heard on the loudspeakers may evoke questions in the minds of passengers. In such a situation, one should remain calm, however. “Technical reason” on the screen actually means that either a malfunction has been detected in the aircraft – and it has to be repaired before the next flight – or one of the maintenance tasks planned for the aircraft is still in process. Every detail is carefully checked before departure.

When discussing means of transport the lay person is more familiar with – such as a car or a boat – the time that elapses between maintenance check-ups, or before mandatory equipment is acquired, may become unduly long. When it comes to commercial aircraft, it is an entirely different matter. Strict guidelines apply in terms of the condition of the aircraft as well the equipment in an aircraft. The guidelines are based either on the requirements of the aircraft manufacturer or official regulations. The airline itself has additional requirements of its own – relating to operating conditions, for example. In Finland, we are masters in handling icy conditions.

Finnair Technical Services is on duty every hour and every minute of the year ready to handle any malfunction that may occur. Professionals set out to find the root cause of the malfunction and take measures to correct it. When necessary, the aircraft manufacturer is contacted. Compromises are not made. The flight will not take off, unless the condition of the aircraft unequivocally meets all requirements. This principle – based on ensuring flight safety – is always our first priority. Our passengers can always count on it. We are aware that delays are not pleasant. By the same token, we believe that each of our passengers surely appreciates the fact that with us, safety always comes first.

Next to the airport is an extensive area occupied by Finnair Technical Services, where approximately 1,600 people work. Occupations include mechanics, foremen, inspectors, planners, technicians, various logistics specialists, assistants and engineers. This group of people has the responsibility of ensuring that the technical condition of Finnair aircraft is impeccable. As the skills of the individuals in this group are so diverse and of such a high level, a market exists for these skills outside of Finland as well. Approximately one third of the jobs performed by Technical Services are performed for other airlines.

Before entering Technical Services becomes an option, most of our employees have completed the three-year aircraft-assembly training. In addition to general occupational subjects, the training includes subjects pertaining to aviation technology, as well as guided practice in an aircraft – the actual work environment.

After mastering theory, the mechanics begin work. At first, they work for several years in aircraft maintenance-related tasks alongside an experienced licenced mechanic. When switching to another type of aircraft, more in-depth knowledge to supplement theoretical information is gained through additional training. After a person has accrued a minimum of five years of combined training and work experience, the Finnish Civil Aviation Authority grants him or her an aircraft mechanic’s licence, provided that other eligibility requirements are also fulfilled.

Provision of the aforementioned training is limited exclusively to educational institutions, which have been granted the pan-European EASA Part 147 approval by the Finnish Civil Aviation Authority. There are a few such institutions in Finland.

Aircraft are not serviced randomly. Instead, each maintenance task is performed according to the maintenance programme approved by the authorities. Each maintenance task is entered in the official records of the appropriate maintenance service by the person who performed the task (”signature”). In addition, each aircraft operating in the Finnair fleet is signed off by a skilled and duly authorised professional (“certifying staff)”, whose personal signature testifies to that effect.

The right to an authorised signature – known as the Certificate of Release to Service (CRS) in professional terms – is granted by Finnair. The authorisation entitles the mechanic to grant the aircraft the permission to operate after maintenance procedures have been completed. Typically, at that stage, a mechanic has accrued a total of approximately 10 years of combined training and work experience. Foremen and inspectors who started out as mechanics also grant CRS. Additionally, the decision to grant a CRS is backed up by a sufficient number of support personnel, who confirm the authenticity of the maintenance service accounts, for example.

Working with aircraft offers continuing opportunities for development, challenges and learning new things. People like working with us – at Technical Services, the longest careers span more than 40 years. Experienced mechanics possess an in-depth knowledge of several types of aircraft, and the ability to resolve even the most challenging issues they may be faced with. Some mechanics make a career shift to maintenance planning or other specialised tasks, such as preparing maintenance service guidelines, for example. Some end up – via inspector training –as trouble-shooters or quality control specialists.

“Airmanship” is a widely-known concept within aviation. The dictionary offers “aviation skill” as an equivalent. In actual fact, the term has a much more comprehensive meaning. First and foremost, it signifies the sense of responsibility and seriousness, which each aviation professional applies to his or her work.

Vesa Paukkeri