Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services
Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services provides vessel traffic services to merchant shipping and other marine traffic and maintains safety radio operations
VTS monitors maritime traffic 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Its mission is to ensure safe and smooth maritime traffic and to protect the marine environment. VTS informs vessels about other traffic and matters which affect vessels’ safe navigation, such as weather and ice conditions and defective aids to navigation. VTS also organizes traffic and gives navigational assistance, when necessary. In addition, Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services maintains safety radio communications along the Finnish coast as well as distress and safety radio communications in the Saimaa deep water fairway. In Finland, Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services’ three VTS Centres are responsible for vessel traffic service. The surveillance areas of the centres cover all coastal merchant shipping fairways as well as the Saimaa deep water fairway. In addition, Helsinki Traffic, which operates in the Gulf of Finland VTS Centre, monitors the international waters of the Gulf of Finland in cooperation with Russia and Estonia. In addition to international cooperation, the VTS centres pursue close cooperation with the authorities, ports and other partners. If necessary, VTS provides assistance to the authorities and oversee compliance with the Pilotage Act.
Technology and continuous competence development promote safe maritime traffic
The premise for the strategic development work of Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services is the promotion of the safety and smoothness of maritime traffic. Therefore, the development of the basic service, the creation of new services and service models and the continuous development of own competence form the core of Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services’ development work in the upcoming years. Efficient utilisation of automation, digitalisation and data are seamlessly linked with Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services’ development work. The company will enhance its operations through technology, which ensures, for its part, that our competence is as innovative as possible and at the forefront of development. The competence of employees plays a key role when developing the company’s operations. Skill development and continuous lifelong training ensure that the company’s competence meets the requirements of future challenges.
Cooperation between marine operators benefits the Baltic Sea
The strategic objectives of the Finnish maritime traffic and the constantly growing ecosystems of maritime traffic require close cooperation between the marine operators. Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services’ strategic objective is to establish itself as a key player in maritime traffic through high-quality services, competence and efficiency. The company’s objectives include supporting international development work, close cooperation with authorities and influencing the development of national and international regulation. Together with other marine operators, Fintraffic´s Vessel Traffic Services is actively participating in, for example, development and cooperation projects related to the monitoring of the sea area, the use of maritime data and competence development in the marine cluster. We will work in order to ensure, for our part, that the Baltic Sea can maintain its status as one of the world’s most competitive areas, where traffic is smooth and safe, while taking into account the fragile marine environment