The Finnish flag carrier put the blame on the national airline pilots' union, which is negotiating a new contract.
A Finnair A350 takes off. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Finnair plans to furlough almost 40 long-haul pilots amid a labor dispute that prompted partner Qantas to cut back on a long-term lease deal.
The Finnish flag carrier said 36 pilots will be furloughed by the end of September until at least May 2026. It laid the blame squarely on an “ongoing industrial action” by the Finnish airline pilots’ union, which it says has undercut its ability to operate routes on behalf of Qantas.
“The situation is unfortunate for all parties,” said Finnair COO Jaakko Schildt.
The dispute stems from negotiations between Finnair and the pilots’ association over the terms of a new contract. While talks continue, the union has put a ban on overtime and shift swaps and carried out periodic work stoppages.
A particular point of contention is standby duty, in which a pilot must be available and ready to fly on short notice. Finnair wants standby duty written into the contract, a demand the union rejects.
The disruptions have sometimes caused delays in Finnair pilots reaching the Qantas flights they are supposed to operate under the terms of the carriers’ “wet lease.”
A wet lease is an arrangement in which a carrier provides an aircraft and crew to operate flights on behalf of another airline, with the lessee paying certain costs. They are often used by airlines to meet periods of particularly high demand.
Finnair’s deal with Qantas, established in 2023, provides two Finnair Airbus A330 aircraft to fly routes between Sydney and Singapore and Bangkok. The flights are staffed by Qantas except for the pilots, who work for Finnair. The arrangement is supposed to continue until at least 2027.
In its statement, Finnair said its “collaboration” had recently been cut from two routes to one.
In February, the airline warned that continued disruptions could sink its entire deal with Qantas and cost a total of 90 pilots their jobs.
Finnair’s decision to lease aircraft and pilots to Qantas has been seen as an effort to bolster revenue while Russian airspace remains closed to Western carriers. Finland shares a border with Russia, and Finnair has been forced to scrap some Asia-bound flights because of the logistical difficulty of navigating around its massive neighbor. Asia-bound flights that have continued are now much longer, burn more fuel, and put increased demands on pilots and crew.
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