Finnair grounds bulk of its flights ahead of Finnish strike

Finnair Oyj canceled the “vast majority” of flights set to depart from its Helsinki hub during a two-day strike this week.

A protest organized by a number of trade unions against the Finnish government’s planned labor-market reforms will cause widespread impacts across the Nordic country, including at airport operator Finavia Oyj. As a result, about 550 Finnair flights will be grounded starting Feb. 1, Finland’s national carrier said in a statement on Monday. 

Several unions have joined strikes against the planned reforms by the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and a mass demonstration is planned on Thursday in Helsinki. Orpo’s pro-business cabinet is seeking to increase flexibility in agreements on terms of employment as well as cuts to unemployment benefits, aiming to create 100,000 jobs and fix deteriorating public finances. A series of shorter strikes had already taken place throughout the autumn against such plans. 

The strikes will affect industries from transport to construction, closing or hampering services at banks, supermarkets, hotels, child care and transport. Among other large Finnish companies hit are Neste Oyj, which will ramp down its oil and renewable fuels refinery, and about 3,000 workers at factories of Stora Enso Oyj, UPM-Kymmene Oyj and Huhtamaki Oyj are estimated to be also taking part. 

Finnair didn’t disclose the financial impact from the strikes on its operations. It had previously said that about 60,000 customers could see their travel plans altered, and offered people the option to change bookings.