Tourism development threatens to take helicopter base from Käsivarre – Deputy Commander: rescue operations would be hampered

Important airfields for Rajan helicopters and other rescue helicopters are on the trigger list at Lake Kilpisjärvi due to zoning and regulations.

Rescue operations in the Finnish Handicap region may become more difficult in the future.

The current airfield of the Border Guard in Kilpisjärvi municipality of Enontekiö would be completely removed from use in the pending land-use plan.

Instead of an airport, the northern end of the village would like to see more tourist development, among other things.

The municipality of Enontekiö also has its own aircraft -managed airport in Kilpisjärvi, but its future is currently at stake.

Lapland tourism is also visible in Kilpisjärvi and Käsivarre’s wilderness, but at the same time the number of rescue tasks.

Due to long distances, rescue helicopters are often the only relatively quick way to get a person in need of hospital or help in person search.

Now the helicopters are threatening to miss the field and the airport.

Rescue operations would be delayed

– The helicopter field with its structures supporting operations plays an important role in the enabler of flight -oriented flight operations, Pakkala says by email to Yle.

According to Pakkala, the potential prevention of operations at its current location will lead to the abolition of support functions and thus significantly affect the operation of the Armn’s Great Fell area, until replacement solutions, with the necessary decisions, can be arranged.

In other words, for example, rescue activities in the area would be significantly delayed if the airport was to be decommissioned.

The elimination of the aerodrome would also make it difficult for the rescue helicopters arriving in Norway, as in search of, for example, they may have rely on the Border Guard aerodrome, for example in fuel refueling.

The Border Guard is rented in the area. According to Pakkala, the Border Guard has a 12 -month notice period in the field lease. The town plan is currently in the opinion phase.

Municipal airport also under threat

The airport is located in the Natura area, on the shore of Lake Kilpisjärvi, but does not have an environmental permit to meet the current requirements.

– Getting it is a bit bigger then. There have been discussions whether it is only easier for the municipality to abandon the entire aerodrome. On the other hand, it would of course be terribly important to the municipality that there was a plane in Kilpisjärvi, says Ylitalo.

– They have changed quite a lot over time. We are currently exploring what should be done at the aerodrome to meet the requirements of a new environmental permit, says Lämsä.

The airport should also be renewed to meet the renewed regulations of Traficom of the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency. According to Lämsä, these change regulations are also in the study.

More tourism in the area

Kilpisjärvi is currently pending four different plan changes, including a change in the master plan. In the form of zoning changes, the municipality of Enontekiö aims to meet, among other things, the area’s growing tourism needs.

For example, the northern zoning plan that affects the operation of the Border Guard is intended to indicate tens of thousands of new square meters of tourism services and holiday homes.

The area is about 50 hectares. The town plan would allow the construction of the plan area to be increased by about five times the current one.

The need for a new tourist accommodation is based on the planning report, according to the planning of Kilpisjärvi, to serve Norwegian holidaymakers, passers-by travelers and handheld recreational, sledging, sledging or recreational fishing fishing areas.