Finnair returns to five Finnish cities, gov’t plans subsidy

Finnair (AY, Helsinki Vantaa) will resume domestic routes to five provincial airports with the start of the winter season on October 25, only to shut them down again at the end of the season on March 27, 2021, the airline said in a statement. The decision affects connections between Helsinki Vantaa and Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Kemi/Tornio, and Kokkola/Pietersaari, all of which ceased with the arrival of covid-19. Finnair blamed the decision to drop the routes next spring on continuing poor demand due to the pandemic. Total capacity has sunk from 350 flights per day in October 2019 to an expected 70 to 80 flights a day this October. “Winter-season flights are cost-effectively designed to provide some of the most important connections to the needs of the tourism industry and export companies,” the state-controlled flag carrier said. These flights will enable some connections during winter, “while a working group considering the future of regional flights looks for alternatives to provide accessibility to the regions,” sales director Mikko Turtiainen added. The working group, set up by Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, has proposed that the state subsidises air traffic to the five airports from March 27 until the end of 2021, as a temporary solution until longer-term solutions are developed. The ministry said in its own press release on September 17 that it would stage a tender to select an airline to implement this temporary solution.