Finnair Cancels 550 Flights Ahead of Anti-Government Protests by Labor Unions

Ahead of labor union strikes against the Finnish government, flag carrier Finnair is expected to cancel around 550 flights this week, significantly hampering the airline's operations and air traffic across Finland.

Cancelations Across the Board

The labor union strikes will occur on February 1 and 2. Various Finnish unions have protested recently against the current government's attitudes toward multiple aspects of employment in Finland. These include the government's plan to favor local work agreements over centralized bargains and simplify the process of terminating work contracts.

While the strike is not directly related to Finnair and its operations, the slew of cancelations suggests that many airline and airport employees will participate. Finnair operates approximately 280 flights daily, meaning two days' worth of strikes equals 550 Finnair flights being canceled. 

The cancelation will affect all Finnair flights, whether long-haul or short-haul. It should be noted that Finnair does expect to operate some flights during the strike period. However, the airline mentioned it would notify passengers if their flight is operating or canceled.

Impacts on Finnish Aviation

Because the strikes against the Finnish government will be from employees across various industries and companies, the impact of these strikes will transcend the boundaries of Finnair and Helsinki. Finavia, the state-owned Finnish airport company, expects various disruptions that will affect day-to-day operations. These include check-in, security, aircraft catering, and baggage handling.

Helsinki Airport alone provides jobs for around 25,000 people and is home to 1,500 companies that operate from it. However, Finavia has clarified that it is not involved in the strikes. It has been disclosed that seven Finnish airports will completely close, albeit temporarily, during the strike period. A further 11 airports will see significant schedule impacts, including the main hub, Helsinki Vantaa (HEL).

The disruptions at Helsinki and other Finnish airports will understandably impact foreign carriers. Because various airport operations are hampered due to strikes, international carriers will find it especially difficult for their planes to be serviced on time. While no international airlines have announced schedule changes or cancelations reflecting the strike period, such moves could be expected closer to that time.

Passenger Accommodations

Finnair allows passengers to change their flights free of charge amid the massive cancelation period. Many passengers never leave the airport since they connect via Helsinki on routes from North America to Asia or vice versa. Due to the disruptions at Helsinki, Finnair is rebooking passengers on other airline flights based on their itineraries. 

Jari Paajanen, VP of Finnair's Operations Control Center, said:

"We have already given customers the opportunity to change their travel dates on Finnair flights. From January 30th-onwards we [will] start rerouting customers, using other airlines' flights."

It is unclear if Finnair will rebook passengers solely on OneWorld partner airlines or any airline serving the routes its passengers were initially flying. If other airlines cancel flights due to strikes, these carriers may allow passengers similar flexibility to Finnair.