Finnair Faces Last-Minute Flight Cancelations After Failing To Reach A Deal With Stand-By Pilots
Finnair
has announced that after the Finnish Air Line Pilots’ Association (Suomen Liikennelentäjäliitto, FALPA–SLL) rejected the National Conciliator’s proposal on December 9, the union’s members will not take up standby calls from December 12, resulting in potential flight disruption going forward.
No replacement pilots
In a statement on December 11, Finnair announced that following the FALPA–SLL’s rejection of the latest proposal by the Finnish National Conciliator on December 9, standby pilots represented by the union will not respond to calls when they are on duty.
Jaakko Schildt, the chief operating officer (COO) of Finnair, said that there will be cancelations with very short notice, which will disrupt the airline’s customers’ plans. The Finnish carrier detailed that when it cancels a flight, it will inform the affected passengers and provide alternate routing.
Photo: Finnair
“We do everything we can to secure our customers’ travel plans during the holiday season. Many foreign tourists come to Finland during Christmas and New Year, and possible flight cancellations will inevitably hurt Finland’s attractiveness as a winter travel destination.”
Schildt hoped that negotiators would seek solutions, with the executive noting that Finnair’s operating environment has changed considerably since the airline was prohibited from using Russian airspace in February 2022.
“Finland needs flight connections and a competitive flag carrier. A competitive Finnair is key for ensuring future jobs both at Finnair and in the Finnish travel industry at large.”
Related
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The airline is deepening connections with partner airlines Qatar Airways, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines to balance its network.
Russian airspace limitations
Finnair and other European carriers have been prohibited from using the airspace above Russia since the Western world and Russia announced tit-for-tat sanctions following the latter’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
However, Chinese carriers have continued flying to Europe and the United States via Russian airspace, resulting in an uneven competitive environment for countries that have supported Ukraine in its fight against the invading forces.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
US authorities have addressed these concerns, and since around mid-2023, newly approved flights from China to the US have been flying while avoiding Russian airspace. While this did even out the playing field, demand has been low, forcing US-based airlines to largely avoid flying to China.
Related
US & European Airlines Cut Flights To China Struggling With Russian Airspace Closure
China-based airlines have rapidly outpaced the growth of their Western counterparts on US and Europe-bound markets from their home country.
Further strikes
However, the union’s pilots’ refusal to pick up calls to replace other flight crews has not been the only industrial action that FALPA–SLL has taken since negotiations over a new contract began in August.
On November 23, Finnair informed its passengers that FALPA–SLL would strike on December 9 and December 13, potentially affecting around 300 flights and around 33,000 customers.
At the time, Schildt said that the airline was disappointed that FALPA–SLL decided to strike rather than negotiate, which would disrupt the travel plans of its customers just before Christmas. The COO promised to offer alternative flights to as many travelers as possible.
Photo: Karolis Kavolelis | Shutterstock
“Finding suitable new flights for thousands of customers takes time, and our customer service will be congested during the weekend, so we ask our customers to be patient. We are all doing our utmost to make it possible for our customers to carry out their travel plans despite this unfortunate situation.”
Further flight disruptions occurred on December 2, when the Finnish Aviation Union (Ilmailualan Unioni, IAU) announced an abrupt walk-out by Finnair’s ground handler’s at Helsinki Airport
(HEL) between 14:00 local time (UTC +2) and 16:00.
“According to the information Finnair has, the reason for the walk-out is a hearing with two Finnair employees on unauthorised disclosure of information. […] Two Finnair employees have disclosed Finnair’s internal and confidential information outside the company.”
Data from the aviation analytics company Cirium showed that Finnair has scheduled 981 weekly flights from Helsinki Airport (HEL) in December. 48 of those are routed toward Asia, while 15 are toward destinations in the US, namely Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
(DFW), New York John F. Kennedy International Airport
(JFK), Los Angeles International Airport
(LAX), and Miami International Airport
(MIA).
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