As a new member of the Executive Board, I will be responsible for ensuring that Finnair’s flights are operated safely, economically and punctually. It sounds simple, but this goal is actually very complex and highly challenging.

Currently our organisation employs Finnair’s 800 pilots and around 400 cabin staff. In addition to flight operations, we are also responsible for arranging ground functions that support traffic, maintaining the airworthiness of our fleet, and cooperating with the authorities on flight permit issues.

Our route network control centre (NCC) monitors the company’s traffic at all times and is responsible for managing traffic changes. The NCC’s work not only safeguards our passengers’ connections but is also decisively important for the company’s financial result. Traffic irregularities carry a big price tag.

Work in the control centre is conducted at a brisk tempo and demands high professional expertise, as well as a capacity to work under extreme pressure. Although Finnair is one of Europe’s most punctual airlines, every day we encounter challenging situations in which we have to switch aircraft, make reroutings and find new staff for flights at short notice. Decisions are made quickly and often at difficult times of the day in terms of the crew availability.

How well we succeed and the quality of our work are reported in the media from time to time. A further challenge is presented by the fact that our aircraft currently fly in 16 different time zones. Annually we operate around 45,000 return flights.

The operational cornerstones of my organisation can be summed up in three words: safety, economy and punctuality.

In relation to quality and reliability, Finnair has achieved a level that is currently at the top of our sector and which withstands comparison with all of our main competitors.

At the same time, however, the company has regrettably underperformed in terms of key production factors, especially in productivity of work and capital resources.

The challenge is now to improve both the use of the aircraft fleet and the work productivity of personnel. From an operational perspective, there is simply no other remedy for improving competitiveness.

In addition to maximising use of resources, we have set ambitious targets for the continuous development of flight economy.

We are spurred on towards these targets by a major external factor: the high prices of oil and jet fuel. We also been working for a long time now on developing flying and approach methods aimed at cutting the fuel consumption of aircraft. We have succeeded in this, and at the same time we have borne our responsibility for environmental issues, too. Our modern fleet is economical and it adversely affects our environment as little as possible.

Finnair flight operations’ use of resources has traditionally been divided into two areas: scheduled passenger services and leisure traffic. Traffic has been handled partly with shared and partly with separate aircraft and crew.

The goal of the new organisation is to create a foundation for structural efficiencies by standardising scheduled and leisure traffic and traffic planning while at the same time increasing cross-utilisation of resources, particularly where our aircraft fleet is concerned.

The number of leisure trips made each winter from Finland has been continually growing for decades now. In our strategically key Europe-Asia traffic, on the other hand, the peak of demand occurs in the summer season. This presents opportunities for improving the use of the fleet, thereby minimising the impact of the traditionally quieter traffic periods. An aircraft is a factory that produces only when it is in the air. That’s why its efficient use is vital also from a financial standpoint.

The intention is also to lengthen the traffic planning period to enable productivity to be improved more effectively than it has to date and to remove overlapping functions in the organisation.

The Finnair world of flying is therefore not yet ready, but we have rolled up our sleeves and started working towards a better tomorrow.

I am confident that Finnair has what it takes to operate in today’s competitive environment, when we have all members of the team pulling in the same direction. In this respect the challenges are not inconsiderable, but problems are there to be solved.

I believe that the gravity of the economic situation and the inappropriateness of old attitudes for today’s competitive situation have also been understood in the air transport sector’s employee organisations, which have traditionally focused on the robust defence of their interests. Adjustment measures are painful but necessary to ensure the continuity of operations.

Although a significant part of the work of the Production unit takes place behind a closed door on the flight deck or otherwise in support services unseen by customers, I even so consider customer-orientation to be extremely important. We exist to serve air travellers.

To our passengers, our work is evident as safe and punctual flights to wherever Finnair’s blue and white wings carry our aircraft around the world.

Erno Hildén
The writer is Finnair’s SVP, Operations as of 1 October.

Even today, many people perceive the Earth as flat. The greatest difficulty in explaining Finnair’s strategy is still presented by a man who lived 500 years ago, Gerardus Mercator, who projected the world in a flat map format. Great for printed products but a drastic alteration to the proportions of the globe.

When you look at the world as a map on the pages of a book, it seems absurd that anyone would fly first across Scandinavia and from there ‘down’ to Asia.

But when you look at the same routing on a globe, the shortest journey from A to B traces the so-called Great Circle routes. This is the route you will see if you connect two destination ‘pinheads’ with a piece of thread.

Finnair salesmen over the years have drawn continents and flight routes across an orange to convey the idea, or then demonstrated our flight routes with the help of a beach ball globe.

It’s a fact that most air traffic between Europe and Asia passes over Finland. On clear days Finns can see the flock of aircraft way up in the sky, following a flight path running from Hanko in the south-west Finland to Joensuu in the east.

Flights to about a dozen Asian ‘super-hub’ airports operate from about a dozen airports in Europe. All passengers who are from places outside the reach of these centres have to change planes somewhere. It can take a ludicrously long time to find connections at the ‘mega-hubs’. At uncongested and efficient Helsinki-Vantaa airport we can offer connection times as short as half an hour. Finnair’s so-called ‘Via’ transit connections are nearly always the fastest available. This kind of speed and efficiency is especially important for business travelers. Time is money.

Another major plus is that Helsinki is located at a perfect distance from Asia from the point of view of operating a long haul aircraft fleet.

A single aircraft unit is capable of covering return flights to all Finnair Asian destinations within a day, while those other airlines which have to fly longer distances cannot be as efficient. An aircraft is like a factory which only produces while it’s actually in the air. Other airlines are not able to cover two Asia flight legs in the same day.

Helsinki’s geographical location makes it possible for the long haul fleet, the company’s most valuable production asset, to be put to the most efficient use. The right distance also makes it possible for Finnair to employ more affordable aircraft types. Only Finnair can fly on Airbus A330-300 aircraft to all destinations in Japan and Thailand as well as several others with full loads of passengers and cargo. In terms of operational cost competitiveness, the aircraft is less expensive and more eco-efficient.

Finnair’s operational logic is to exploit these natural competitive advantages, to attract our passengers from 40 European destinations and bring them to Helsinki, then onwards to our Asian destinations – and vice versa. At present as much as 90 per cent of our long-haul passengers come from outside Finland. Finnair accounts for about four per cent of the growing intercontinental traffic. This relatively small figure is sufficient for the company as long as they come from so many places.

In Finnair’s newly reorganized corporate structure, route strategy and use of capacity are being elevated to a high priority level across the whole group, while scheduled and leisure traffic units are being merged. The company’s traffic network is thus extended from 50 scheduled destinations to also cover 110 leisure flight destinations. This will give Finnair completely new options for offering route combinations.

Ville Iho

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

Finnair reliability is at top level

There hasn’t been much good news recently in the world of aviation. So at Finnair we are proud that, in these difficult times, we have succeeded shaping our processes related to reliability to peak condition.

Aircraft are assets that are only productive as long as they are flying. If passengers get annoyed about delays or mislaid baggage, it means an even bigger headache for the airlines. Late departures lead to delays for the next departure, so that in the worst case the entire route network suffers because baggage and customers miss connections and a snowballing of delays begins. Arrival punctuality is important for passengers and their often busy schedules. For an airline a delay means additional costs. Each delay minute is calculated to represent an average of 75 euros. No wonder every airline strives for punctuality.

For the last three months, despite the winter period with adverse weather conditions, the Finnair reliability figures have been excellent. Nine out of ten flights have arrived at their destinations according to timetable. Finnair is now a leader in this field, where the European average is eight out of ten.

For an airline, reliability more than anything means punctuality and regularity of flights, keeping the scheduled flight connections as well as the punctual delivery of baggage.

Flight punctuality is usually measured as proportion of flights arriving within 15 minutes of their scheduled time.

Regularity refers to the actual realization of planned flights. Finnair belongs to the group of airlines with the fewest cancellations in Europe. That means we are honouring the promise that we make to customers. Only in the most exceptional circumstances will a flight not take off. Cancellation of a flight can lead to disastrous situation for passenger, the price tag for an airline can be hundreds of thousands of euros.

Finnair has concentrated even more on connecting traffic at Helsinki between Europe and Asia. In this respect we have managed better at keeping our pledge too: only one passenger in a hundred has missed their connection. Compared with other European hubs, we are both fast and reliable for connecting passengers. Shortest connection time in Helsinki is 35 minutes, but in delay situations we can go even below 15 minutes. Not bad.

Baggage has been a major challenge due to extensive renovations taking place at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. We have made excellent progress in this respect, and Finnair is now at the industry average with 14 bags in every thousand undelivered. We are counting on further improvements by the end of the year. The airport’s new automated baggage factory will go live in autumn, which is a major step ahead in boosting efficiency and capacity of our hub.

The European airline association, the AEA, comprehensively monitors the industry’s performance, the results of their surveys give interesting figures, which are an excellent way to measure and compare the performance of different airlines.

Finnair reliability measures in a nutshell for the first quarter are:

• Punctuality: 9 out of 10 flights arrive at their destinations on time; the figure for the first three months last year was 8/10.
• Regularity: only a few individual flights had to be cancelled from the planned flight schedule. This is industry top level regularity.
• Gateway connections: one in a hundred passengers missed their connecting flights; in 2008 the corresponding first-quarter figure was 3/100.
• Undelivered baggage: 14 items of baggage out of every 1,000 did not travel with their owners; twice as many bags were undelivered in the same period last year.

The results are excellent in comparison with any period in Finnair recent history. The effects of recession have reduced the number of flights, but that alone does not explain these positive developments. There have been significant advances in all production-related areas. In the end, it’s Finnair staff working hard behind the scenes who have made the changes. Reliability is such an important issue for Finnair that performance levels are continuously monitored and incentive rewards for all Finnair staff are based on them.

The recession is an unhappy time for airlines, but there is something good in it too. Cycles with lower capacity utilisation are an opportunity for airline production units to question and challenge their operational systems and methods. We have not been sitting idle. When our fleet returns to peak productivity, we’ll be ready.

Ville Iho

Slow snow

Big blizzards descend on European airports at least a couple of times a winter and they can leave the best-laid schedule plans in tatters.

The public blame ‘winter took them by surprise again’ is of course an international favourite used to accuse inappropriate snow-clearing resources or infrastructure. But in all seriousness, why does a snow storm weaken an airline’s service performance?

There are four main reasons:

1) Traffic is reduced in line with what can be handled by air traffic control. The airport may even have to be closed completely. Air traffic is planned according to a ‘wave’ structure: planes arrive and depart during certain periods to make it possible to offer connections. There may be dramatic knock-on effects if capacity has to be reduced during a main ‘wave’.

2) Ground operations at the airport slow down. Fleet movements and the physical human work done by staff to turn aircraft around are decelerated. In the worst cases, ground service vehicles may find it impossible to get through the snow to approach the aircraft closely.

3) A new stage of proceedings is introduced for ground handling in the event of a snow storm: de-icing. The turnaround of an aircraft from one route to another cannot be done quickly. De-icing takes between 5 and 20 minutes depending on the aircraft type and where it’s flying, and it can’t always be completed according to departure schedules.

4) One delay leads to another. Whenever one flight fails to leave on time, it can lead to special pressure on transit traffic. It doesn’t matter how well-planned staff rota are either; if there is a delay during a peak period it means that there will probably be a shortage of labour somewhere along the chain.

Just as a car driver experiences difficulties in a snow storm when trying to drive from A to B, so does an airline. One of the frequently asked questions that follows is, why don’t airlines and airports give themselves more time and make allowances for special situations?

The answer is that this just isn’t possible in the framework of regular traffic. Traffic programmes and through them the schedules of tens of thousands of customers cannot be made according to weather forecasts. An airline cannot tell its passengers to eat their omelet more quickly because a flight has to leave in accordance with its de-icing schedule. Unfortunately, the dynamic in any case only works in favour of delays.

The effects of the latest storm for Finnair in Finland were nine redirected flights, 15 cancellations, 55,000 delay minutes, 3,000 disrupted connections, 3,000 delayed items of baggage, and a significant fall in overall punctuality for the month.

Finnair has worked its way into the top performers in Europe for punctuality. Many airlines struggle with airspace congestion, for example. Our special challenge is harsh winter conditions and snow.

Ville Iho