Bjørn Johnsen works as a captain at Widerøe and as the chief instructor on the short-haul network in Norway. They are completely dependent on skilled AFIS officers in their daily operations.
- We only have contact with the AFIS officer on the way down to an airport and on the way out from the airport, says Bjørn.
The information an AFIS officer provides to the captain is quite varied. It includes everything from weather and wind, runway status, and not least information about other traffic in the area.
- The information we get from an AFIS officer is crucial for us. For example, we need to know if we can start an approach. We have visibility restrictions and altitude restrictions on the weather, and we therefore need weather information indicating that we are allowed to start an approach, says Bjørn.
An AFIS officer provides information about runway status. If the runway is too slippery or under certain wind conditions, the planes can't land.
- If an AFIS officer provides incorrect information or if we don't get information at all; this is very critical. It is therefore extremely important that the information is correct.
“The information we receive from an AFIS officer is absolutely crucial for us.”
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