Finnair has confirmed that it will cease flying
two of its shortest domestic routes, replacing air service between
its Helsinki hub and the cities of Turku and Tampere with a bus
connection, effective 1 May 2023.
The airline has already replaced its midday flights
from those cities with bus connections to lower the CO2 footprint
of the routes.
The scheduled flight time to Turku and Tampere is
35 minutes, but the actual flight time is about 25 minutes.
Most customers from the Tampere region arriving at Helsinki Airport for
Finnair flights, for example, already
come by bus, train or car. In fact, before the
COVID19 pandemic approximately 70 percent of Finnair Plus members with home
addresses in Tampere started their flights from Helsinki Airport
rather than from Tampere, despite the several daily flights
available.
During the summer of 2023, Finnair will operate
four bus services per day between Turku and Helsinki Airport and
four bus services per day between Tampere and Helsinki Airport.
As
of 8 May 2023, the service will start from the central bus stations of
Turku and Tampere.
Bus connections can be purchased together with the
connecting flight. With the bus connection included in the
booking, Finnair also guarantees connections in case bus or flight
schedules are delayed.
In addition, customers arriving at Helsinki
Airport by bus can use priority check-in, bag drop, and security
for a smooth connection.
The buses run on biodiesel and have
internet connectivity and USB charging possibilities for
added convenience.
“The flights to Tampere and Turku are very short,
and the relatively low passenger numbers – around 35 percent load
factors – on these routes cause them to have a higher CO2 emission
per passenger than many other short routes in our network,” said Perttu Jolma,
Vice President, Network. “Road, or rail, transportation is a more
sustainable option for connections between Helsinki Airport and
these cities. We understand that this decision disappoints
customers who have used the flights, and we regret the
inconvenience this causes them. We must, however, take both
economic and environmental considerations into account.”
Finnair has said that it will communicate the end of flights
directly to customers who have reservations for the Turku and
Tampere routes from the beginning of May onwards. Customers can
then choose a bus connection arranged by Finnair or cancel the
flight and apply for a ticket refund.
