The Finnish Aviation Union IAU has announced industrial action at Finnair’s home hub Helsinki Airport, causing extensive disruptions to Finnair traffic on Monday, 5 May.
According to the IAU, the industrial action will be four-hour-long and will take place in different shifts. Therefore, the industrial actions are not tied to a specific time but will affect many functions that are essential for Finnair’s flights during the day, such as ground handling operations and cargo services.
As the industrial action will cause significant disruptions to the operation of flights, Finnair will have to cancel approximately 100 flights on Monday. Flight cancellations are expected to affect approximately 7,500 Finnair customers. Finnair will offer customers of cancelled flights an alternative flight, which the customer can see in the Manage booking service on Finnair’s website or in the Finnair mobile application.
“We are very sorry about the ongoing changes to our customers’ travel plans due to these industrial actions, including the most recent one this Friday. Our team is working diligently to offer alternative solutions to affected customers,” says Jaakko Schildt, Finnair’s Chief Operating Officer.
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.
Customers are asked to make sure that their contact information is up to date on their reservation. 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. 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.
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 Friday, 16 May. 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.