2016 Responsibility report

Responsibility at Finavia A part of society Safety Staff wellbeing Environmental responsibility GRI
Environmental permits
Proper management of environmental matters is a prerequisite
for the existence of airports. It provides the airports with
the necessary acceptance in society at large.
The environmental permit contains the provisions on the operations
of the airport and its environmental impacts. The need to
review the provisions is assessed after 7-10 years. Airport operations
are also governed by many international and national aviation
regulations.
17 of Finavia’s airports have an environmental permit compliant
with the Environmental Protection Act that entered into force in
2000. A small number of airports will not need an environmental
permit, unless the scope of their operations substantially change.
In 2016, new permits were granted to the Vaasa and Kuusamo Airports.
Furthermore, in February the Vaasa Administrative Court
issued a decision on the noise amendment case concerning
Jyväskylä Airport, and the Supreme Administrative Court issued a
decision on the environmental permit of Turku Airport in December.
At the end of 2016, the permit applications for Kokkola-Pietarsaari
and Kajaani Airports, and the applications to inspect the
permit provisions for Utti and Mariehamn Airports were being processed
by the permit authorities.
Preparation of reports and plans will continue after
the environmental permit has been granted
The provisions of the environmental permits contain numerous
reporting and planning obligations concerning such issues as
water pollution and noise control. The report on the collection of
glycol-containing waters at Rovaniemi Airport is still pending in
the Regional State Administrative Agency for Northern Finland.
Finavia supplemented its report in summer 2016 by supplying
information on a test carried out at the airport during the winter, in
which the suitability of a suction vehicle for collecting glycol-containing
waters at apron level was tested in northern conditions.
In June, the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern
Finland issued its decision on the report, discussing the need
to recondition the brook Kylmäoja close to Helsinki Airport. The
appeal regarding the report is still pending at the Vaasa Administrative
Court. Finavia submitted a response concerning the other
outlet streams at Helsinki Airport and a storm water report covering
the entire airport area to the Regional State Administrative
Agency for Southern Finland.
Reports on the management of glycol-containing waters will be
prepared for Joensuu and Turku Airports during 2017. A report on
a more effective collection of glycol will be prepared for Helsinki
Airport. Furthermore, the report, initiated in 2016, on the treatment
capacity of the embanked basins close to runway 3 at Helsinki
Airport will continue. Noise control plans will be prepared for
the following airports: Kittilä, Ivalo, Kemi, Turku, Vaasa, Pori, Tampere-Pirkkala
and Kuusamo. Noise reports will be produced on
Helsinki, Savonlinna and Joensuu Airports, while at Jyväskylä Airport,
noise measurements will be carried out in cooperation with
the Finnish Air Force. At Helsinki Airport, the noise measurements
will be carried out in the new airport run-up area.
The permit process concerning night-time traffic
restrictions at Helsinki Airport is continuing
In 2015, the Finnish Transport Safety Agency Trafi, issued a decision
whereby it did not impose any restrictions on night-time traffic
at Helsinki Airport, as the noise control target will be fulfilled
without any night-time restrictions if flight operations develop as
predicted. An appeal against the decision was lodged with the Helsinki
Administrative Court, which, in its decision issued in December
2016, rejected all appeals. This decision has been appealed
against to the Supreme Administrative Court. Under the permit,
which took effect in 2015, Finavia will continue its existing noise
control measures and an updated noise control plan was finalised
in February 2017.
In 2016, new permits
were issued for Vaasa and
Kuusamo Airports.
Responsibility report 2016 46