The model adopted at Helsinki Airport on 2 October is based on the CDM procedure (collaborative decision making) of the European air navigation system Eurocontrol. The CDM procedure improves communications between the various operators at the airport and provides closer cooperation between landing and take-off.
The procedure will have a positive effect on the operations of air carriers, the airport in general, air traffic control, ground handling companies and parking planning. CDM produces more exact and cur-rent information to support decision-making concerning the take-off and landing of an aircraft, which improves the predictability of air traffic.
“Increased predictability allows various operators to plan their operations better, which improves effi-ciency and brings savings. The combined effort of numerous players is needed to ensure smooth and efficient transit through the airport. The better the coordination between the operators, the higher the quality and efficiency of the service at the airport,” says CDM project manager Timo Suorto from Finavia.
Travellers may notice the new procedure when the aircraft leaves the gate. Until now, the plane may have waited for its turn while taxiing, but CDM now allows it to wait at the gate with engines down. After receiving permission, the aircraft starts the engines, taxis to the runway and takes off. This will cause no additional delays to the passengers, nor add to their costs. The shorter taxiing and decreased idling time will also cut the fuel consumption of the air carriers and reduce emissions.
After the adoption of the CDM procedure, the CDM system of the Helsinki Airport will be integrated with a European air traffic management system in November 2012. This allows more exact and de-tailed sharing of information on the aircrafts’ take-off preparations between the airport and the Network Manager (NM) unit of Eurocontrol, the European air traffic coordinator. This, in turn, will promote more efficient utilisation of European airspace.
CDM supports the leading position and competitiveness of the Helsinki Airport
Finavia and the Helsinki Airport are pioneers in the development and deployment of the CDM procedure. Helsinki Airport is the seventh European and first North European airport to adopt the procedure.
“Helsinki Airport is the flagship of Finavia and Finnish air traffic. The development of Helsinki Airport into a top transit airport is at the core of Finavia strategy. To retain its leading position, Helsinki Airport must stand out from its European competitors in both efficiency and range of service. The CDM pro-cedure supports the accuracy of the departing traffic and the cost-efficiency of Finavia, both factors with an effect on our position as a popular transit airport,” says Airport Director Ville Haapasaari from Helsinki Airport.
CDM is being promoted as a compulsory procedure for all European airports with more than 50,000 flights per year. In Finland, Helsinki Airport is the only one for which the number of flights is high enough to require the adoption of the procedure.
Positive environmental effectsIt is estimated that the CDM procedure will have positive environmental effects. Lower fuel consump-tion due to shorter taxiing times will cut the carbon dioxide emissions of airplanes, which will also have a positive effect on local air quality. It has been estimated that idling will be reduced by up to 3 minutes per aircraft during peak hours, which would mean an annual reduction of 5100 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
In future, the centralised management of airplanes’ de-icing and anti-icing treatments will also made easier as the information flow between different parties is improved through CDM.
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Source: Finavia
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