Finnair cancels approximately 100 flights on 20-21 November due to cabin crew strike

The Helsinki-based Finnair has had to cancel altogether approximately 100 flights leaving its home base today and tomorrow after The Finnish Transport Workers' Union AKT has announced a strike regarding Finnair's cabin crew in Helsinki between Sunday 20th Nov at 3 p.m. EET and Monday 21st Nov at 3 p.m.  

The job of cancelling the flights, rebooking or rerouting customers' reservations began on Saturday and work continues today, mainly by outsourced staff and via the 'Manage Booking' section on Finnair's website.  

The carrier says that fights operated by Norra will continue as scheduled as will flights where Finnair has already outsourced cabin and flight crew services to other companies.  

"We are deeply sorry for the concern and inconvenience this strike is causing our customers, and do our best to reroute our customers as soon as possible," says Jaakko Schildt, Finnair's Chief Operating Officer.   "It is sad that the labour union has chosen the path of an illegal strike instead of negotiations. Throughout the autumn we have discussed savings possibilities with the unions, but unfortunately, we have not been able to achieve a result with the cabin crew. We still hope to find solutions together," says Schildt.  

The financially troubled national carrier has already told staff of the costs its needs to cut and savings that have to be made in order to return the carrier to profitability and secure its long-term future. Many of the savings the carrier wants to make effect cabin crew including: pay cuts, much higher crew utilisation, downgrading of layover hotels, no meals, additional pay-per-hour rules for long flights and axing employee discounts.  The airline said that as no agreement was found with its cabin crew, it is now looking to axe dozens and dozens of cabin crew and subcontract or outsource even more of its long-haul routes. 

There have been many of Finnair's staff who have taken to social media or messaging groups to tell their fears and beliefs that this is just the next step on a journey of turning Finnair into a virtual carrier with almost all services, other than aircraft and management outsourced to other companies.