Thousands of air passengers face chaos with 140 flight cancellations on Friday

Daily Record

01-05-2025

The industrial action will see one union hold a four-hour strike on Friday, May 2, with a second strike planned for Monday, May 5. Finnair passengers will be affected
An airline has announced it will cancel around 140 flights on Friday, May 2, due to planned strike action by the Finnish Aviation Union (IAU). Among the cancelled Finnair flights are six to London Heathrow, two to Manchester and one to Edinburgh.
The industrial action, which is set to last four hours, will occur in "different shifts" throughout Friday, with no specific time frame given by the IAU. The strike is expected to disrupt many aspects of Nordic airline Finnair's flight operations and ground services at Helsinki Airport, reports Bristol Live.
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Finnair has warned that the cancellations will impact approximately 12,000 customers and due to the high volume of cancellations, rerouting all affected passengers may take some time. Customers also have the option to cancel their booking and apply for a refund.
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In addition to flight cancellations, the strike is likely to cause delays and disruption to baggage handling and catering services. Finnair has cautioned that some short-haul flights on Friday may operate without baggage and meals onboard.
However, long-haul flights will not be affected by the catering restrictions, the airline confirmed. The IAU has also announced similar industrial action for Monday, May 5.
Finnair said it is "still assessing the exact effects" on traffic, but that it is likely to cause additional disruption. Helsinki Airport has also warned travellers to expect flight delays and "occasional queues" on both Friday, May 2 and Monday, May 5.
What to do if affected by Finnair strike action
In a statement, Finnair said: "If your flight is cancelled, we will contact you personally via e-mail or text message as soon as the cancellation has taken place. You will be offered a new route, which will also be visible in Finnair's Manage booking service and mobile application. Due to the high number of cancellations, rerouting all customers may take time, and customers might have to wait for a while for their new route."
Darina Kovacheva, Head of Legal at SkyRefund, has provided clarity on the rights of passengers affected by industrial action. She explained: "According to EU Regulation 261/2004, the eligibility for compensation for a flight disrupted by strike action depends largely on who calls the strike and how much control the airline has over it."
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She continued: "As this strike will involve Finnair employees, if you present yourself on time for check-in with a valid flight reservation and travel documents, and you are denied boarding you might be entitled to € 250 if the distance you are travelling is 1,500 km or less; € 400 for flights of more than 1,500 km within the European Common Aviation Area and all others between 1,500 and 3,500 km, with all other flights of more than 3,500 km eligible for € 600 compensation."
She also highlighted the obligations airlines have towards their passengers during such disruptions, saying: "If you're caught up in travel disruptions due to industrial action, regardless of your airline, they must look after you. That means they should provide food and drinks that match the length of your wait, and if you're stuck overnight, they must also cover a hotel stay and transport between the airport and hotel. The timing also matters - you're eligible for this support after a 2-hour delay on short-haul flights, 3 hours on medium-haul flights, and 4 hours on long-haul flights.
"But keep in mind, if the airline you are travelling on is not Finnair, and therefore not striking, and you are still affected, you will not be eligible for financial compensation as the delay or cancellation has been caused by 'extraordinary circumstances', for example a strike by airport workers, who don't work for the airline on which you are travelling. Still, it's sensible to hang on to your receipts for any expenses you rack up during the delay."