lentosuunnitelmasta

Lentosuunnitelma, translated from Finnish as “flight plan,” is a formal document that pilots and airline dispatchers prepare to describe the intended flight path, aircraft performance, and operational parameters of a scheduled or instance flight. Its purpose is to allow air traffic control (ATC) and airline operators to manage airspace efficiently, ensure safety, and coordinate resources such as fuel, crew, and maintenance.

A flight plan contains basic information about the aircraft (make, model, weight, and operating limitations), flight identification (callsign and flight number), departure, en‑route and destination airways, alternative airports for contingencies, estimated times of departure, arrival, and each segment of the flight. It also details the planned navigation waypoints, altitude profiles, and use of meteorological information and weather minima. When a flight is operated under instrument flight rules (IFR), the flight plan must be filed with the relevant ATC unit prior to takeoff; for visual flight rules (VFR) flights, many jurisdictions permit or require filing as well for enhancement of situational awareness.

Flight plans are parsed by automated systems such as the Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS‑B) network or radar displays, providing controllers with real‑time position updates. They also support in‑flight monitoring, especially in congested airspace or where the flight may intersect trans‑Atlantic or trans‑pacific routes. In addition, recorded flight plans form part of legal and regulatory documentation used in post‑flight investigations, airspace cost analysis and compliance audits. The standard drafting format is governed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) through Annex 2 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, while individual countries may impose additional rules for domestic operations.