ATM/ANS Services and Service Providers

According to the definition, ATM/ANS services include the following:

The air traffic management functions and services defined in Article 2(10) of Regulation (EC) No 549/2004. The air navigation services as defined in Article 2(4) of the same regulation, including network management functions and services as referred to in Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 551/2004, as well as services that augment the signals emitted by satellites of the core GNSS system for air navigation purposes. Flight procedure design and services involving the compilation, processing, formatting, and transmission of data for general air traffic in the interests of air navigation (Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Article 3(5)). ATM/ANS service providers in Estonia are Lennuliiklusteeninduse AS (Estonian Air Navigation Services), Tallinn Airport Ltd, Estonian Defence Forces, and Estonian Environment Agency.

ATM/ANS Service Provider Certificate

To ensure the proper provision of ATM/ANS services and the maintenance of flight safety, an organisation must hold a relevant service provider certificate. This certificate confirms the organisation’s technical and operational competence and capability to perform the certified activities, including: personnel with sufficient knowledge and experience, organisational structures, required equipment, facilities and resources, and established necessary procedures, etc.

ATM/ANS services provided in Estonia include:

• Air Traffic Services (ATS),
• Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM),
• Airspace Management (ASM),
• Communication, Navigation and Surveillance Services (CNS),
• Aeronautical Information Services (AIS),
• Meteorological Services (MET),
• Flight Procedure Design (FPD).

The procedure for certifying ATM/ANS service providers is established in the Aviation Act.

A state fee must be paid for reviewing an application for a service provider certificate or a certificate amendment, and for maintaining the certificate, in accordance with the State Fees Act. The amount of the fee depends on the services provided. When paying the state fee, the relevant details of the Estonian Transport Administration and the aviation reference number must be used.

Before deciding on the issuance of a certificate, the Estonian Transport Administration verifies that the organisation applying for the certificate complies with the applicable requirements.

The certificate is issued with an indefinite validity and remains valid (including with any imposed limitations) as long as the certified service provider complies with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373, other applicable regulations, and, where necessary, the provider’s documented procedures. If the certificate is surrendered, suspended, or revoked, it ceases to be valid.

Applying for a Certificate

To apply for a service provider certificate, an application must be submitted to the Estonian Transport Administration. The requirements for certification and service provision are set out in the Aviation Act and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373.

Applications for certificates can be submitted via the Flight Safety Information System (LOIS).

When applying for a certificate for the first time, the following documents must be submitted with the application:

• Articles of association of the organisation, 
• Business and annual plans,
• Description of the organisation’s management system,
• Description of the organisation’s security management system,
• Operating manuals and contingency plans in accordance with point ATM/ANS.OR.B.035 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373.

Providers of air traffic services and air traffic flow management services must also submit:

• Description of the safety management system,
• Air traffic services operations manual (except for ATFM service providers).

Note: During the certification process, the Estonian Transport Administration may request additional documentation.

Request for Changing the Certificate

The holder of a service provider certificate must immediately notify the Estonian Transport Administration of any changes to the data on which the certificate was issued, as soon as these become known.

If any data contained in the certificate or its annex require amendment, the certificate holder must promptly apply to the Estonian Transport Administration.

The Estonian Transport Administration shall decide on amending the certificate within 90 days of receiving all required documentation.

Restriction, Suspension, Reinstatement, and Revocation of the Certificate

The suspension, reinstatement, and revocation of an ATM/ANS service provider certificate is carried out in accordance with § 37³ of the Aviation Act.