Finnair has cancelled around 100 flights out of Helsinki today due to a sudden one-partial day cabin crew strike.
The strike action started first thing this morning and runs until 3pm local time.
The airline said it has been offering booked customers, who may be affected, new route alternatives to their destinations.
Last week, Finnair announced plans to subcontract cabin crew on certain long-haul flights in a bid to save money and help it return to profitability.
The Finnish carrier has made losses in the past few years after being heavily affected by Covid’s shutdown of international travel and, more recently, the closure of Russian airspace.
Finnair has agreed cost savings measures with some employee segments, but not with cabin crew. The airline employs around 1,750 cabin crew.
However, the plan to subcontract staff could reduce that number by 450 people. Finnair is planning to subcontract crew on routes to Thailand and the US by the end of next year.
“Our target continues to be to find a savings solution together with our cabin crew. We now need a genuine will from the negotiators to find solutions,” said Finnair chief executive Topi Manner last week.
Today’s strike does not affect flights operated by Norra Airlines – the regional airline co-owned by Finnair – or Finnair flights where cabin crew services are currently provided by partner airlines.
“We are sorry for the inconvenience and do our best to reroute our customers,” said Jaakko Schildt, Finnair’s COO.
“The labour union has chosen the path of an illegal strike instead of negotiations,” he said.
