Finnair has been forced to cancel around 300 flights in the face of a pre-Christmas pilots’ strike which is set to affect approximately 33,000 customers.
On November 24, 2024, Finnair said that the Finnish Air Line Pilots’ Association had advised the Finnish flag carrier that the strikes will be held on December 9 and 13, 2024.
“It is disappointing that the Finnish Air Line Pilots’ Association has chosen to strike rather than negotiate. This unfortunately disrupts the travel plans of thousands of our customers during the pre-Christmas season. We are doing everything we can to serve our customers well even in this difficult situation and will offer alternative flights to as many customers as possible,” said Finnair’s Chief Operating Officer Jaakko Schildt.
Finnair said it will cancel approximately 140 flights from December 9, 2024, and around 150 flights from December 13, 2024.
Affected customers will be notified by Finnair and offered alternative options for travel, although the airline warned it would not be “not possible to offer everyone a rerouting that is close to the original”.
“We are extremely sorry for the worry and inconvenience this situation causes our customer. Finding suitable new flights for thousands of customers takes time, and our customer service will be congested during the weekend, so we ask our customers to be patient. We are all doing our utmost to make it possible for our customers to carry out their travel plans despite this unfortunate situation,” added Schildt.
If a suitable new flight cannot be found, Finnair said customers can apply for a refund of the ticket price or, if the ticket was purchased through a travel agent, from the third party in question.