Finnair will furlough 36 long-haul pilots in the autumn

Finnair will furlough 36 pilots operating its long-haul flights. Furloughs will start by the end of September at the latest, and are estimated to last at least until May 2026.

The furloughs are due to changes in Finnair’s wetlease operations for a partner airline. Finnair has operated two routes for a partner as a wetlease operation, and ongoing industrial action by the Finnair Pilots’ Union since December has impacted Finnair’s ability to operate these flights. Going forward, the collaboration continues only on one route.

The airline has conducted change negotiations according to the Finnish labour law about the possible need for pilot layoffs or furloughs since February.

“Unfortunately, the pilots’ industrial actions have affected our ability to operate our wetlease operations with the reliability that is needed, resulting in changes in our collaboration and consequently, the need to furlough some of our pilots. The situation is unfortunate for all parties”, says Jaakko Schildt, Finnair’s Chief Operating Officer.

Finnair is a network airline, specialising in connecting passenger and cargo traffic between Asia, North America and Europe. The airline is the only one with year-round direct flights to Lapland. Customers have chosen Finnair as the Best Airline in Northern Europe in the Skytrax Awards for 14 times in a row. Finnair is a member of the oneworld alliance, while the airline Plc’s shares are quoted on Nasdaq Helsinki.

The article Finnair will furlough 36 long-haul pilots in the autumn first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.