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... country's size. The graph on this page shows the current route map for Finnair domestic and its subsidiary, Golden Air, and breaks their destinations down by area. (Destinations in Finland) Geographically, the served destinations are limited to the areas with the greatest number of people, which also means that they are serving the economic hubs of Finland. Estonian owned airline, Estonian Air serves only 10 destinations, all of which are large cities outside of its own country. However, like Swedish carrier, SAS, and like Finnair, Estonian Air has a subsidised regional carrier, Elk Airways. Elk flies small and medium sized propeller and jet aircraft to areas of low density, shuttling passengers between Tallinn and the rest of Estonia.
Acting as a feeder for Estonian Air, Elk benefits by providing an essential service that can be found nowhere else. Thus, even though Estonia's major carrier doesn't serve anywhere within its borders, the economy is fed by its smaller regional airlines. Some may contend that there is simply not enough service in the Baltic region. I would argue that it is impossible to fly to every city, town and community without draining the already tapped resources. Why should the governments of these countries mandate the airlines to fly on unprofitable routes, with load factors of less than half, thus driving up the cost of a ticket per seat mile and costing the government and the airline valuable money and resources? The answer is, they should not.
Scheduled air service is not obligatory; it is not an essential good, and therefore, need not be provided, to such ends that the airline and government become indebted in doing so. Is Aviation Development in the Baltic Region Practical? The European aviation infrastructure is far reaching and massive. Of the 25 or so European countries, at least half of them have reputable, global air carriers of their own. And of those half, nearly all of them have the majority of their fleet flying within the continent.
This means that by far, Europe has the most vast and dynamic route structures for airline services in the world. The proximity of Europe's countries affords even the smallest carriers to fly internationally. In the Baltic Sea region, we can surmise that due to its northern orientation and low population density, many European airlines choose to serve only the hub airports in large cities, like Copenhagen and Helsinki. Unlike in France, where various international carriers may serve Paris, but also fly regularly to Nice, Calais, Toulouse, Lyon, and Bordeaux, the market for travel is also greater there.
The recommendation in reference to the practicality issue is to not spread the already existing air service too thin. Rather, if the cities can market themselves to the domestic and international carriers in a manner that lures them in, then chances are, the carriers will stay. It is just not practical, otherwise, for airlines to begin flying to cities unless there is a market niche for them there. Is Aviation Development in the Baltic Region Feasible? Money is always the bottom line in any business transaction. And setting up airline service between two cities constitutes just that.
Airlines have limited resources that must be taken into account before any deal is finalised. Pilots, crew, aircraft, maintenance employees, spare parts and storage and a plethora of other logistical minutiae are all considered carefully before inaugurating service between new city pairs. If the airline is young and strapped for resources, they will focus all of their energy on an area where they know they can make a profit and serve the majority of their customers best. Usually, this is at a hub in a large city. This does not always have to be the case, however. It takes a special leader, special employees, and a special vision to run an airline without a hub and make it work.
Hubs are the lifeblood of a scheduled air carrier. The company's top executives, the fleet, the employees are all concentrated there for convenience purposes. And in terms of shuttling passengers around with the least amount of hassle, it's the system that makes the most sense. Passengers are ferried in from all over the country, brought to a common airport, and ferried out again. It's a simple one-stop way of connecting passengers with their destinations. Southwest Airlines operates as one of the best airlines in the United States, and it does not conform the hub and spoke system.
Essentially, the airline operates from city to city, sometimes stopping 3 or 4 times before reaching it's final destination. A system like that of Southwest's is what would be necessary in the case of the Baltic region. Airlines with their bases in these areas are not capable, not strong or large enough to support a vast network of hub and spoke operations with their small fleets and limited human resources. Feasible, yes. But difficult, indeed; and risky, too. Finnair, for example, would have to cease non-stop operations from Helsinki to Kittila, and instead, fly a route where the aircraft would make 3 stops before arriving.
This would not, however, be a feasible plan, as the aircraft do not have the capacity to operate routes like that. Airlines also risk losing passengers to carriers who can get them to their destination without the hassle of having to stop. Thus, the feasibility of developing routes in the Baltic in this manner is closely linked with the carrier's availability of resources, and is usually too great a risk to attempt. VI. Conclusion The necessity and feasibility of a link similar to that constructed between "Oresund and Malm"o would not be practical for Helsinki and Tallinn, as closely linked and as co-operative as the two capitals are. There simply is not the demand nor the resources needed to complete such a major project.
Passenger traffic flows are high enough to warrant a link, however, there is also currently more than enough methods of making the crossing than really needed. A new link would almost certainly be uneconomical, and would do little to enhance passenger traffic between Finland and Estonia. In the arena of aviation in Scandinavia, the necessity and practicality of further aviation development in Finland and Estonia will not precipitate major changes in the transportation infrastructure of either country for some time. Currently, the areas served by both country's air carriers are suitable, and in some cases, excessive for the number of passengers residing in areas of low population density and minimal economic activity. People tend to gravitate toward centers of high economic growth and development, and airports are placed in and around those areas to provide easy and ample access to those places.
Thus, if the airports and carriers are already serving those areas which need it most, it would seem as though the government and private aviation companies have a firm grasp on things. In conclusion, we have determined that there is little than can be done in terms of passenger traffic to enhance the economic integration of the Baltic Sea area, especially in and between Finland and Estonia. The low population of the area and the already adequate services further restrict the need for a greater transportation infrastructure in the area. VII. Works Cited Airlines in Europe Page: E, F, G. Airline Directory. 8 August 2000 web Airlines in Europe Page: R, S, T.
Airline Directory. 8 August 2000 web Destinations in Finland Page. Finnair Oyj. 11 August 2000 web fin. htm Greve, Irene. 'The Best of Copenhagen and Malm"o. ' Highlife. July 2000, 28.
Janos, News. 'Koppenhaga. ' Horizon. July 2000, 22. Ruoppila, Sampo. Helsinki- Tallinn a. Helsinki: The City of Helsinki, Information Management Centre. 1996: 124. U.
S. Congress on the Internet Page. Thomas Legislative Information. 10 August 2000 web Western, Ralph. VASAB 2010: A Critical Analysis. 1998.
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Research essay sample on Economic Integration Of The Baltic Sea Region
