Estonia. Estonian Air Navigation Services
| Date of agreement: | 09 May 2023 |
|---|---|
| Country: | Estonia |
| Customer: | Estonian Air Navigation Services |
| Amount in EUR: | EUR 13 million |
| Maturity: | 2.75 years |
| NACE sector / loan type: | Air transport |
Project
The investment loan has been granted to finance the investment programme for 2022-2025. The programme includes upgrades to air traffic management systems, IT development, remote air control towers.
The programme aims to improve the efficiency of air navigation services by reducing both fixed and variable costs as well as providing better service to the airlines. Moreover, the investments in digitalisation of Estonian regional airports in Tartu, Kuressaare, Pärnu and Kärdla, will enable EANS to provide air traffic services at several airports simultaneously from a single center, ensuring a safe and high-quality service regardless of weather conditions.
Part of the investments also support the FINEST programme, a bilateral cooperation between the Estonian and Finnish air navigation providers.
FINEST is the first attempt of its kind in Europe to connect the airspace of two countries, and serves as a model for the EU’s Single European Sky initiative. In the framework of the project, a cross-border air traffic management system between Estonia and Finland will be created, which will allow, if necessary, Estonian air controllers to operate flights in Finnish airspace and vice versa.
Estonian Air Navigation Services (EANS) is a state-owned public limited company under the supervision of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. EANS provide safe and efficient air navigation services together with air traffic management for both manned and unmanned air-vehicles.
Fulfilment of NIB's mandate
Investments in air navigation systems are essential for ensuring safe and efficient air transportation. As the number of flights continues to rise, air navigation services need to accommodate this increase in demand. Investments in air navigation systems can also help to improve safety, reduce delays, and increase efficiency, which may have significant economic benefits.
Impact indicators in relation to the investments:
- Number of flights serviced
Sustainability summary
No sustainability risks have been identified in relation to the projects. The investments are not eligible for the EU Taxonomy.
According to European level initiatives such as the Digital European Sky, optimising air traffic management (ATM) can have a positive environmental impact, as optimised routing, ascends and descends lead to lower fuel consumption. Eurocontrol estimates that optimised ATM systems have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by around 6-9%.
The FINEST cross-border air traffic management programme allows aircrafts to freely optimise their performance regardless of whether they are in the Estonian or Finnish airspace, which could also be linked to environmental benefits. The environmental benefits directly linked to the specific investments could not be quantified.
