Industrial action by the Finnish Aviation Union (IAU) on December 2, 2024, led to disruptions in Finnair’s flight operations with a number of the airline's flights being cancelled.
The IAU orchestrated a ground operations walk-out at Helsinki Airport, with the strike taking place between 14:00 and 16:15 EET, affecting operations such as aircraft maintenance, baggage handling, customer service, and catering.
Jaakko Schildt, chief operating officer at Finnair commented: “We are very sorry that the illegal walk-out is disrupting our customers' journeys. We aim to communicate directly with customers whose flights are affected, but unfortunately last-minute changes are also possible. We recommend that customers pack their most important items, such as medicines, in their carry-on baggage."
According to Finnair, the walkout was prompted by a hearing involving two Finnair employees accused of unauthorised disclosure of confidential information.
In a statement the IAU said: “Finnair is terminating the employment relationships of the chief shop steward of technology and shop steward of the labour department. The reason given by the company is the safety risk associated with the disclosure of written evidence addressed.”
Finnair noted that the airline sees this walkout as “illegal” and “irresponsible.”