A political strike announced by several employee unions against the Finnish Government is expected to have a significant impact on the operations of Helsinki Airport. As a result of this strike, Finnair is expected to cancel around 550 flights scheduled on February 1 and 2, the dates of the announced strike.
During this time, the Finish Airline plans to operate around 280 flights per day in its normal traffic program, so the majority of flights will be cancelled, with only a few able to be operated. Finnair has announced that flight cancellations in their systems will be implemented one flight at a time, starting from Tuesday morning (January 30), while offering customers alternative travelling schedules or routes. Ground services, including baggage loading and flight service, can also be affected, leading to potential delays.
Customers have been given the opportunity to change their travel dates on Finnair flights. From January 30 onwards, rerouting customers will also be done using other airlines’ flights. The processing of cancellations and rerouting customers will take approximately two days due to the large number of cancelled flights and customers.
Almost two weeks prior to the strike, Finnair has already offered its customers the possibility to reschedule their flights for other days, before or after February 1 and 2, but no later than March 15, 2024. The strike is also expected to impact local transportation, including the metro, trams, and local trains in the Helsinki Metropolitan Region.
The strike, which is turning into a nationwide strike as more public sectors are joining, is part of the central organization SAK’s “Serious Grounds” campaign opposing the government’s policy, which is deemed unfair. JHL has been organizing political strikes since the autumn of 2023, which have gradually escalated, and the most recent one is no exception.
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