Tero Santamanner knows the ins and outs of Finavia’s maintenance and transport equipment, such as snow-blowers and ploughs. Before Finavia, Santamanner has worked for decades with cars.
“While studying at the University of Applied sciences I focused on the car and transportation side. After that I received my master’s from technological capabilities and leadership. After my studies, I wanted to advance my career and looked for different opportunities including positions at Finavia. I applied for the position of Maintenance Equipment Specialist, and luckily, I got the job,” Santamanner explains.
Special know-how is a must in the aviation industry
As a Maintenance Equipment Specialist Santamanner is responsible for the procurement and lifecycle management for the Finavia’s equipment. In practice, this means for example researching snowhow machinery, such as snow blowers or ploughs, and finding out which equipment suit the needs of Finavia airports the best. He also leads Finavia’s working committee on equipment and works in close cooperation with the procurement department. The job description is versatile and comprehensive.
“The substance know-how is highlighted in my role: it requires deep understanding of machines and technology and their role in a changing operating environment. At Finavia, you also need to have an ambitious approach towards climate goals and the ability to shake up old ways of thinking. Adaptability, good communication skills and an eye for working with different people is a surprisingly big part of the job.”
The strict regulation of the aviation industry and high performance criteria for the equipment bring challenges to the work. The equipment and machinery must be durable and flexible enough to work for different tasks.
“Our starting point is that any equipment procured needs to last for at least 20 years. We take good care of our machinery, which is also an important part of our sustainability. We consider the world and how the work tasks are changing and only procure items that we will able to use in the future.”
A 30 ton snowblower dazzles visitors
Working with the exceptional and impressive selection of equipment in aviation maintenance is a dream job for every tech enthusiast. Tero Santamanner says that the appeal of his work lies in this unique setting, that can't be found anywhere outside an airport.
“My personal favourite is the huge snowblower that weighs 30 tons and is 4 metres in height. When we get visitors and they stand next to it for the first time, they can't believe their eyes. It is so cool to work with this kind of equipment.”
However, the best part of everyday work is the meaningfulness of the job and encounters at the airport area.
“The feeling of succeeding together is always a joy. I enjoy visiting different airports and seeing how they work in practice. Also, getting to work with the operators and repairers always makes me happy.”
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