Latest news with #HelsinkiAirport
Travel Daily News
3 days ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Finnair cancels 110 flights on June 4th
Finnair cancels 110 flights on June 4 due to Helsinki Airport industrial action, impacting 11,000 passengers and causing major travel disruptions. The Finnish Aviation Union IAU has announced industrial action at Finnair's home hub, Helsinki Airport, causing extensive disruptions to traffic on Wednesday, 4 June. According to the IAU, industrial actions are similar to those carried out earlier in May – June. The four-hour industrial actions target different work shifts and thus affect many functions essential also to Finnair's flights throughout the day, such as ground handling operations and catering services. As industrial action will cause significant disruptions to the operation of flights, Finnair will have to cancel approximately 110 flights on Wednesday. Flight cancellations are expected to affect approximately 11,000 Finnair customers. Finnair will offer customers of cancelled flights an alternative flight. Finnair has previously allowed customers scheduled to travel on strike days to reschedule their flights, helping them avoid disruptions, and thousands of customers have taken advantage of this opportunity. Customers whose flight was cancelled due to industrial action will be informed about the cancellation as soon as it has been done. After this, the customer will receive a message and be offered a new route, which will also be visible in Finnair's Manage booking service and mobile application. The offered routing can be changed within the limits of flight availability in Manage booking or through customer service. Alternatively, customers can cancel their reservation and apply for a refund for the unused ticket. Customers are asked to make sure that their contact information is up to date on their reservation. The industrial action might cause disruptions, for example, in the baggage handling at Helsinki Airport on Wednesday, so customers travelling on Wednesday are encouraged to check-in in advance, arrive at the airport on time and pack essential items, such as medicines, in carry-on baggage. The IAU has also announced similar industrial action on Wednesday, 11 June. Finnair is still assessing the exact effects of the industrial action on that day's traffic, but it is likely that if it takes place, it will cause disruptions on that day as well. We expect the effect to be mainly on flights operated by Norra. Finnair has previously allowed customers scheduled to travel on strike days to reschedule their flights. Customers with flights on Wednesday, 11 June, can change their travel dates by contacting Finnair customer service or the party that sold the ticket.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Major airline strike could spread to 21 more airports as 110 flights grounded
The Finnish Aviation Union (IAU) has announced three fresh strikes which began on May 30 at Helsinki Airport. This is Finland's seventh aviation strike in under a month A major airport strike threatens to spread to other travel hubs this summer, impacting tens of thousands of British holidaymakers. On Friday, Finnair cancelled 110 flights, affecting 8,000 customers, on the first day of a three-day strike. Today is the second day of action, with a further strike due on June 4. Workers in the Finnish Aviation Union (IAU) have targeted Helsinki Airport in Finland's seventh aviation strike in less than a month. When workers walked out on May 30, alternative travel options spiked. Ferry fares from Tallinn to Helsinki rose 100-130% within 48 hours, reaching £150-£200 one-way, per FerryScan data. Helsinki Airbnb rates jumped 40-50% (£120-£180/night from £80-£120), trends suggested, while train fares from Stockholm to Helsinki increased 30-40%, according to Omio. Finnair has been rerouting long-haul flights via Stockholm and Budapest due to strike-related fuel shortages at Helsinki Airport, causing multi-hour delays on routes to Tokyo, Bangkok, and New York. These changes are especially disruptive for UK–Asia passengers. June 2's strike will see flights rerouted via Frankfurt and Amsterdam, likely causing one to three-hour delays for 1,500-2,000 daily passengers. A potentially bigger issue is now looming on the horizon. If IAU-PALTA talks remain stalled, the IAU may expand strikes to all 21 Finavia-operated airports, which include Rovaniemi, Oulu and Kuopio, in the upcoming days. This could disrupt 20-30% of Finland's 2,000 daily flights, meaning as many as 60,000 passengers impacted. Each week 20,000 UK travellers could be affected if such a strike were to rumble on. Later this month, IAU may shift to short two—to three-hour strikes targeting high-traffic weekends such as June 14-15, 21-22, and 28-29, disrupting 50-100 daily flights at Helsinki Airport. Passengers concerned about being caught up in the travel disruption can buy strike-cover insurance for as little as £20, use websites such as FlightRadar24 for real-time flight tracking, and avoid Helsinki connections by taking other routes such as vua Stockholm. Anton Radchenko, found of AirAdvisor, said: 'This is no longer a strike story, it's a system failure story. Helsinki has now had more strikes in 30 days than most countries have in a year. This represents something far more serious than a few cancelled flights: they signal a system on the brink. Helsinki Airport, once considered one of the smoothest hubs in Europe, is now suffering from chronic unpredictability. For UK passengers, this isn't just about Finland, it's about how a local dispute can derail an entire travel experience across Europe." The IAU, which represents ground handling, baggage, catering, maintenance, and customer service staff, has called the strikes over pay disputes with PALTA. According to the IAU, the average earnings of Finnair Group employees increased by 6.4 percent between 2020 and 2023. During that same period, the national average increase across all sectors was 10.4 percent. PALTA, the employers' association, insists most workers seemed willing to agree to the mediator's suggested pay rises, as reported by Helsinki Times. However, they claim the IAU are pushing for increases exceeding what has been proposed to others. On Friday a representative for Finnair told the Mirror: " As industrial action cause significant disruptions to the operation of flights, Finnair have canceled approximately 110 flights today, on Friday 30 May. We have contacted our customers directly about today's cancellations already during last Wednesday and majority of the customers whose flights were cancelled are able to travel today. "We are deeply sorry that our customers' important travel plans were disrupted."
Travel Daily News
3 days ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Finnair to cancel approximately 50 flights at Helsinki Airport today
Finnair faces major disruptions on June 2 due to Helsinki Airport industrial action, canceling ~50 flights and impacting 3,600 passengers. Similar action looms June 4. The Finnish Aviation Union IAU has announced industrial action at Finnair's home hub, Helsinki Airport, causing extensive disruptions to traffic on Monday, 2 June. According to the IAU, industrial actions are similar to those carried out on Friday, 30 May. The four-hour industrial actions target different work shifts and thus affect many functions essential also to Finnair's flights throughout the day, such as ground handling operations and catering services. As industrial action will cause significant disruptions to the operation of flights, Finnair will have to cancel approximately 50 flights on Monday. Flight cancellations are expected to affect approximately 3600 Finnair customers. Finnair will offer customers of cancelled flights an alternative flight. Customers whose flight was cancelled due to industrial action will be informed about the cancellation as soon as it has been done. After this, the customer will receive a message and be offered a new route, which will also be visible in Finnair's Manage booking service and mobile application. The offered routing can be changed within the limits of flight availability in Manage booking or through customer service. Alternatively, customers can cancel their reservation and apply for a refund for the unused ticket. Customers are asked to make sure that their contact information is up to date on their reservation. The industrial action might cause disruptions, for example, in the baggage handling at Helsinki Airport on Monday, so customers travelling on Monday are encouraged to check-in in advance, arrive at the airport on time and pack essential items, such as medicines, in carry-on baggage. The IAU has also announced similar industrial action on Wednesday, 4 June. Finnair is still assessing the exact effects of the industrial action on that day's traffic, but it is likely that if it takes place, it will cause disruptions on that day as well. On Monday, 2 June, Finnair will announce possible flight cancellations for Wednesday, 4 June. Finnair has previously allowed customers scheduled to travel on strike days to reschedule their flights, helping them avoid disruptions, and thousands of customers have taken advantage of this opportunity. Customers with flights on Wednesday, 4 June, can change their travel dates by contacting Finnair customer service or the party that sold the ticket.
Daily Mirror
29-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Brits warned of ‘significant' holiday hotspot disruption as airport staff strike
The Finnish Aviation Union has announced three strikes among workers at Helsinki Airport over the coming weeks, with Finnair the airline most impacted by the industrial action Finnair has grounded 110 flights, impacting 8,000 customers, on a single day of a three-day strike. Brits flying to Finland are facing travel chaos yet again, as the Finnish Aviation Union (IAU) has announced three fresh strikes on May 30, June 2, and June 4 at Helsinki Airport. This is Finland's seventh aviation strike in under a month. The industrial action is predicted to impact just shy of 30 UK flights across the three days. As the summer getaway kicks off, this latest wave of strikes will have ripple effects across Europe. The IAU, representing ground handling, baggage, catering, maintenance, and customer service staff, will strike over wage disputes with PALTA in 4-hour staggered shifts, leading to full-day disruptions. Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@ According to the IAU, the average earnings of Finnair Group employees rose by 6.4 percent between 2020 and 2023. During that same period the national average increase across all sectors was 10.4 percent. The strikes are designed to maximise disruption, with union officials organising the walkouts at strategic times across a six-day window. The result is a wave of residual disruption: cancelled flights one day, incomplete baggage delivery the next, and last-minute rerouting throughout. Palta, which represents employers, has argued that most employee groups were ready to accept the mediator's proposed increases, Helsinki Times reports. It has said that the IAU is demanding adjustments beyond what others have asked for. The cancelled direct flights from the UK will see nearly 5,400 passengers affected. Since Helsinki is a direct transit hub for Brits flying to Asia, the Baltics and Northern Finland. According to Air Advisor, 11,400 UK passengers will be affected. Key UK routes likely to be impacted include London Heathrow to Helsinki, Manchester to Helsinki, and Edinburgh to Helsinki. The IAU strikes are not the only ones impacting European aviation customers this week. The May 30 to June 4 strikes align with Italy's May 28 aircrew/taxi strikes, creating a rare 'Nordic-Mediterranean Disruption Corridor', disrupting Helsinki, Milan, and Rome hubs. This will strain Frankfurt and Amsterdam connections, adding excessive pressure on these hubs. Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and founder of AirAdvisor, said: This is no longer a strike story, it's a system failure story. Helsinki has now had more strikes in 30 days than most countries have in a year. This represents something far more serious than a few cancelled flights: they signal a system on the brink. Helsinki Airport, once considered one of the smoothest hubs in Europe, is now suffering from chronic unpredictability. For UK passengers, this isn't just about Finland, it's about how a local dispute can derail an entire travel experience across Europe. "The most worrying aspect is the deliberate spread of these strikes. By placing them days apart, IAU is stretching airline operations beyond recovery: think of aircraft out of position, bags not making it to destinations, and crew timing out. It matters because this kind of disruption doesn't stay in Finland; it ripples across hubs like London Heathrow, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam, making it even more chaotic." Affected passengers should check the airline's website and mobile app for alternative flight options and manage their bookings accordingly. Finnair has told impacted customers that they will be supported with rebooking options to minimize inconvenience.
Reuters
28-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Finnair to cancel 110 flights on Friday due to industrial action
COPENHAGEN, May 28 (Reuters) - Finnair ( opens new tab said on Wednesday it would cancel around 110 flights on Friday due to industrial action at Helsinki airport, and that it expected the cancellations to affect around 8,000 of its customers.
