Polish Air Navigation Services Agency is actively looking for new sources of financing. In recent weeks, the Agency won the tender announced by the Lithuanian Oro Navigacija. The colorful plane of the PANSA Flight Inspection, commonly known as the Parrot, will be carrying out control and measurement flights in Lithuania for three years, and the income from this activity will be added to the Agency’s budget, which is severely strained by the crisis.
Today, the agency’s income is only from collecting navigation fees, which have been affected significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The suspension of Eurocontrol payments for services provided by the European ANSP’s from February to May means that by November this year PANSA is completely devoid of any revenues from the services provided. Meanwhile, PANSA sees the potential to earn from selling services and products, such as those provided by our Flight Inspection. This is an ideal way to diversify revenues in the downturn, as shown by the example of our counterparts in other countries.
Every three years a tendering procedure is opened by Oro Navigacija for a 3-year service provision. In June 2020 PANSA along with other flight inspection service providers was invited submit its offer in a tender for flight inspection of Lithuanian navaids in 2020-2023. In October 2020 PANSA’s offer was ranked as the most advantageous of the four submitted. When the contract is concluded PANSA will be responsible for performing in total six multi-day missions scheduled for each year, during which all Oro Navigacija’s navaids will be inspected. Optionally, PANSA may also be asked for Instrument approach LPV/APV SBAS ground validation and procedure inspection services in Palanga and Kaunas airports. The contract, which will be in force from November 2020 to May 2023, is yet another example of commitment to mutual cooperation between PANSA and ON in Baltic FAB.
It is also worth adding that despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, PANSA Flight Inspection has completed four orders for control and measurement flights in recent months for two European institutions providing air navigation services, for the airport manager and for the ILS system contractor. The first of these were measurements at the NATO base in Lithuania – EYSA, Šiauliai (Šiauliai). The next ones were completed at the end of October. At the request of the Cypriot DCA, the validation of landing approach procedures at the airports in Larnaca LCLK (RNP APPROACH RWY 22) and Paphos LCPH (RNP APPROACH RWY 29) was performed. On the other hand, at the request of MoldATSA, a periodic air inspection of two Chisinau ILS / DME and DVOR / DME was carried out, as well as a light navigation aid (including four PAPI) on both runways of the Chisinau International Airport.
PANSA Flight Inspection is in service since 1963 and its tasks include: inspection of airport ground facilities and validation of instrumental flight procedures. PANSA’s Flight Inspection fleet consists of two aircrafts: L 410 UVP-E 15 “Turbolet” and Beechcraft King Air 350i.
