Sweden reports on the violation of Finnish airspace in October

Press release 274/2007
7 December 2007

The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has provided the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs with a report on the violation of Finnish airspace that occurred on 30 October. A Swedish Air Force plane violated Finnish airspace south of the Åland Islands twice. Sweden apologized for the event on the same evening.

According to the report, the reason for the violation was that the aircraft, which had been on a routine mission, made a change to its flight plan in mid-flight. A human error also contributed to the event.

The Finnish authorities consider that the case is now closed.

Additional information: Pilvi-Sisko Vierros, Director General at the Political Department, tel. +358 40 721 1705; Päivi Kaukoranta, Head of the Unit for EU and Treaty Law, tel. +358 9 1605 5715.