EFHK - Helsinki-Vantaa Airport

Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is the main international airport of the Helsinki metropolitan region and the whole of Finland. It is located in Vantaa,  north of Helsinki city centre. Originally built for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, the airport served 14,865,871 passengers in 2011 and it is the fourth largest airport in the Nordic countries. It provides jobs for 20,000 people and there are 1,500 companies who operate at this airport.

The airport is operated by Finavia, the state-owned enterprise that operates Finland’s airports. Helsinki Airport was chosen as the best airport in the world in the IATA 1999 survey on the topic. In 2006 the global airport customer satisfaction survey AETRA ranked Helsinki Airport one of the best airports worldwide and according to Association of European Airlines 2005 delay rates, Helsinki Airport was the most punctual airport in Europe.

The airport is the international and domestic hub for Finnair, the Finnish flag carrier. It is also the hub for CityJet, the Finnish regional division of SAS. Low cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle and Nordic Regional Airlines are based at Helsinki Airport as well.

Local Regulations

Departure

Planning

All flights shall be planned to depart via following waypoints:

• ADIVO
• ARVEP
• IDEPI
• KOIVU
• KUVEM
• NEPEK
• NUNTO
• RENKU
• TEVRU
• VALOX

From 23 APR 2020 in AIRAC cycle 2005, most airways have been removed in Finland. This means that most flight planning software are unable to generate valid routes in and out of EFHK. In order to generate a valid route, follow these instructions:

1. All departures must use one of the valid exit gates mentioned above. For continuation from the exit waypoint, an SID Transition Route must be utilised. Valid transition routes to the west, north and east are available here: https://www.ais.fi/ais/aip/ge/EF_ENR_3_5_EN.pdf. Southbound transition routes are available here: http://eaip.eans.ee/2020-04-23/html/eAIP/EE-ENR-3.5-en-GB.html#ENR-3.5.
2. Select one of the valid Transition Routes and follow it until the last waypoint of the transition route airway. After this, a DCT may be utilised in Free Route Airspace. Observe ay citypair-specific constraints specified in the additional information.
3. For some city pairs, there are mandatory routes which must be followed. Some of them are as follows:

   EFHK - ESSA: ADIVO Y365 POGOK DCT RUNGA N872 XILAN (entire routing mandatory)

   EFHK - ENGM: ADIVO Y365 POGOK DCT EBURI N623 ESEBA

   EFHK - EFJY/EFOU/EFRO/EFKT/EFIV: TEVRU Y75 [USUPO DCT ERTOP to EFJY / SUVIB to EFOU / NEPIX to EFRO / EVIMI to EFKT / USUPO DCT SOTIT to EFIV]

   EFHK - EFKU: IDEPI Y232 ADOPO DCT ATLUL

   EFHK - EFTU: ADIVO DCT EXUPA

   EFHK - EFVA: NEPEK Y361 NISVI DCT GUBTU

   EFHK - Uxxx (St. Petersburg and Moscow area): ARVEP T82 RATMU DCT INLOG / OLEMA [...]

   EFHK - EETN: RENKU

   EFHK - EVRA: KOIVU Y123 LARTI DCT LUTAL

 

IFR clearance

On first contact with Ground (EFHK_DEL) state type of aircraft and received ATIS transmission including identification letter and QNH.

If a different runway than the runway-in-use is required for performance reasons, this request shall be made when requesting clearance.

If unable to follow FMS/RNAV SID, inform ATC when requesting clearance.

 

Note that unless otherwise instructed, aircraft cleared via SID shall climb to 4000 ft. This altitude is not included in the clearance because it is stated in the SID charts.

Your clearance will include the departure runway and standard departure route (radar heading and TMA exit point if unable RNAV SID or RNAV SID unavailable)

“FIN8NY, cleared Stockholm Arlanda via runway 22R. ADIVO 2N departure. Squawk 1412. QNH 1013.”

“SAS709, cleared Stockholm Arlanda via runway 22R. After departure fly heading 280, climb to altitude 4000 ft, radar vectors to ADIVO. Squawk 1412, QNH 1013.” 

If unable RNAV SID, ATC will vector you to the TMA exit.

 

Use of transponder

The assigned transponder code shall be selected and transponder mode C activated at request for push-back. After landing, transponder mode C shall remain activated until reaching the parking stand and code 2000 selected, then switched off immediately after parking.

 

Push-back

Contact Helsinki Ground for start-up and push back clearance. The stand of the aircraft shall be stated in the initial contact with the ATC unit.

 

Taxi

Taxiing on the apron is always subject to instructions. When taxiing on the apron the aircraft shall follow the yellow taxiing guide lines, unless otherwise stated by ATC. For example, a shortcut from Y to ZD may be given when taxiing northbound, which means you can taxi from Y to ZD without following the yellow line.
Apron Spots may be used as co-ordination points for both inbound and outbound traffic to and from aprons. Additionally they ease runway 04R/22L crossings.

Do not cross a runway until clearance to do so has been issued by ATC.
When runway 22R is in use for departure, expect to hold short of runway 22L before you are given clearance to taxi to holding point runway 22R by Tower.

Aircraft landing on runway 22L shall vacate runway via exit ZH or later unless otherwise instructed by ATC.

 

Takeoff and climb

After takeoff aircraft shall remain on Tower frequency until passing 1500 ft, and then contact Helsinki Radar. Tower may include the frequency in the takeoff clearance, but if the frequency isn't issued, pilots are expected to automatically switch to Radar frequency passing 1500ft. When contacting Helsinki Radar, state your altitude and assigned SID.

If unable to follow FMS/RNAV SID or you are departing on a heading, report your heading to Radar on first contact.

 

Arrival

From 23 APR 2020 in AIRAC cycle 2005, most airways have been removed in Finland. This means that most flight planning software are unable to generate valid routes in and out of EFHK. In order to generate a valid route, follow these instructions:

1. All arrivals must use one of the valid STAR Transition Routes. A direct may be taken to the first waypoint of the transition airway, whichafter the arrival transition must be followed until the last waypoint and the entry gate. Valid transition routes from the west, north and east are available here (second page of document): https://www.ais.fi/ais/aip/ge/EF_ENR_3_5_EN.pdf. Transition routes from the south are available here (second page of document): http://eaip.eans.ee/2020-04-23/html/eAIP/EE-ENR-3.5-en-GB.html#ENR-3.5.
2. Select one of the valid Transition Routes and follow it until the last waypoint of the transition route airway. After this, a STAR will be assigned by ATC.

Traffic arriving EFHK are informed of the runway in use and cleared for the STAR for the arrival runway. Traffic unable to follow the STAR are cleared for vectors.

Aircraft can expect approach via STAR for ILS approach or visual approach. If required aircraft can be also vectored.

All STARs at Helsinki are so-called Open STARs. When reaching the last point of the STAR, continue on the heading as prescribed in the respective arrival chart. DO NOT turn towards the respective initial approach fix without ATC clearance. ATC may vector you to final approach or clear you direct to the IAF.

BAW794H, via KENON (direct) BIFIX cleared ILS approach runway 22L.
BAW794H, after KENON, cleared direct BIFIX ... BAW794H, via BIFIX cleared ILS approach runway 22L.

Due to the VFR traffic flying below IFR traffic, an aircraft carrying out visual approach shall maintain an altitude of at least 600 M (2000 FT) MSL until DME 7 HEL and being established on final, unless otherwise instructed by ATC.

During peak performance parallel approaches will be used for runways 04L/04R or 22L/22R.

Pilots will be informed regarding dependent or independent parallel approaches on voice or D-ATIS 135.070. When using parallel approaches, the ATIS broadcast will contain the following information: Simultaneous [dependent/independent] IFR approaches in progress (on runways 22R and 22L (04R and 04L)).

 

Phraseology

When contacting Helsinki Radar for the first time, state: aircraft type, information letter, altitude and STAR or heading you have been assigned.

In order to avoid frequency congestion, when changing from HELSINKI RADAR frequency to HELSINKI ARRIVAL frequency, state only: HELSINKI ARRIVAL + [call sign]

When changing from approach control frequency to tower frequency, state only: HELSINKI TOWER + [call sign] + RUNWAY (number)

 

Taxi

Pilots are reminded that rapid exit from the runway enables ATC to apply minimum spacing on final approach that will achieve maximum runway utilisation and will minimize the occurrence of go arounds.

After landing on 22L/04R, you can continue taxi left on Z after vacating the runway so you don’t block the exit for the next arrival.

The aircraft vacating runway have priority to other taxiing traffic.

Aircraft using RWY 04R/22L or 15/33 for landing shall contact HELSINKI GROUND 121.800 MHZ immediately after vacating the runway for taxi clearance within the ATC Service Boundary. Aircraft vacating RWY 04L/22R shall remain on the appropriate TWR frequency unless otherwise instructedby ATC.
Aircraft landed at runway 22L shall not vacate runway via taxiway ZG or earlier unless otherwise instructed by ATC.