Saturday, January 20, 2024
On January 19, several trade unions in Finland announced a 48-hour political industrial action, affecting air transport from February 1 to 2, 2024.
Finnair is currently evaluating the impact of the industrial action on its flights. It is evident that the political strike will significantly affect Finnair’s operations, leading to flight cancellations. Approximately 60,000 Finnair customers scheduled to travel on February 1-2 may face disruptions due to the strike.
While Finnair has not made changes to its February 1-2 traffic program, it is offering customers the option to change their flights to avoid the strike days. Customers with bookings between January 31 and February 3 can opt to travel earlier or postpone their plans, with the revised travel date no later than March 15, 2024. Changes can be made through Manage Booking on Finnair’s website if the ticket allows, or by contacting the travel agency or Finnair Customer Care for tickets that do not permit changes.
“It is clear that the strike will cause flight cancellations, and we hope that as many customers as possible will find a suitable replacement flight well in advance and thus can avoid uncertainty in their travel plans,” says Jari Paajanen, Vice President, Operations Control at Finnair. “We also ask customers to be patient, as our customer service may become congested due to the situation.”
Finnair will begin canceling flights as the impact of the strike becomes clearer, notifying affected customers directly. Customers are encouraged to check their contact information on Finnair’s website in Manage Booking. In cases where flights need to be canceled, Finnair will provide alternative routes to the destination.
“We aim to re-route customers to flights either before or after the strike. We communicate directly to customers about changes to their flights as soon as flight cancellations are made,” says Paajanen.
Expect disruptions in ground services, baggage handling, and food and beverage catering during the strike. The effects may also extend to the days following the strike, as Finnair flights are round trips, and the scheduled return of a canceled flight may occur in the subsequent days.
“We are very sorry that political industrial action unrelated to Finnair is disrupting our customers’ business and leisure travel plans. There are also many foreign tourists in Finland, and the situation inevitably affects the image they have of Finland,” Paajanen says.
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