Finnair plans to furlough 36 pilots operating its long-haul flights.
The 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 wet lease operations for a partner airline.
Finnair has operated two routes as a wet lease 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 will continue only on one route.
Finnair has conducted change negotiations starting in February according to the Finnish labour law.
“Unfortunately, the pilots’ industrial actions have affected our ability to operate our wet lease operations with the reliability that is needed, resulting in changes in our collaboration and consequently, the need to furlough some of our pilots,” says Jaakko Schildt, Finnair’s Chief Operating Officer.
