Finnair will furlough 36 pilots operating its long-haul flights, the company said on April 28, 2025. The pilots will be furloughed from September this year until at least May 2026.
The airline said changes to its wet lease operations for a partner airline had resulted in the furlough. Finnair wet leases A330s to Qantas for two routes. The routes include from Sydney to Bangkok and to Singapore. The partnership will now continue on only one route. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed to Airline Economics that the Sydney-Bangkok route will continue.
“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,” said Finnair chief operating officer Jaako Schildt. “This situation is unfortunate for all parties.”
Finnair Pilots' Union has been conducting industrial action since December, which has impacted the airline's ability to operate these flights.