Finavia introduces new online air traffic tracking service

2013-05-06 — /travelprnews.com/ — Finavia will introduce a new online air traffic tracking service. Aircraft routes and data from noise measurement stations will now be shown to all. The service provides detailed information about aircraft location, altitude and type at an approximate distance of 70 km from Helsinki Airport.

“The service helps users understand flight route location, aircraft altitude and the impact of wind conditions on the use of runways. In this way, we want to openly provide the public with new, real-time data on air traffic and its impact. People residing near the airport in particular have been interested in it,” says Mikko Viinikainen, Finavia’s sustainable development director.

The tracking system supports Finavia’s high-quality noise monitoring. The service registers noise data from nine noise measurement stations near the airport. Data on the routes of all aircraft originates from air traffic control radar. Military, emergency and government flights are not shown. For security reasons, flights are shown with a one-hour delay.

The online service, called WebTrak, can be accessed on Finavia’s website at www.finavia.fi. The service provides historical data on air traffic for the three previous months, and the possibility to measure the distance and altitude of aircraft flying past your place of residence, for example. Through WebTrak, you can also submit feedback on individual planes. The feedback will be processed and entered into Finavia’s environmental feedback system.

Aircraft have become less noisy over time: in 1990, the Lden 55 dB noise area in the capital region had 97,000 residents, and about 14,000 in 2011. At the same time, air passenger volumes at Helsinki Airport have increased rapidly. In 1990, the number of passengers at Helsinki Airport stood at about 8 million, and at nearly 15 million in 2011. Road and railway noise in the capital region affects about one million people.

Follow Helsinki Airport flight routes on a map on WebTrak.