Instead of flying from Turku and Tampere, Finnair passengers will travel to Helsinki by coach from May 1, 2023. The carrier announced that feeder flights to the hub will be shifted to the road. Officially for environmental reasons, but more likely to be economic considerations behind it.

The use of coaches is much cheaper in direct comparison with commercial aircraft. The acquisition and operating costs alone are lower. It fits perfectly, because according to Finnair, the two domestic routes are only used to an average of 35 percent. Sometimes a single 50-seater bus is sufficient. Of course, one does not want to admit that the feeder flights are uneconomical, so the Finnish carrier prefers to argue with the topic of environmental protection in order to be able to give itself a green touch at the same time.

“Flights to Tampere and Turku are very short and the relatively low passenger numbers – around 35 per cent load factor – on these routes mean that they have a higher carbon footprint per passenger than many other short routes in our network,” says Perttu Jolma, Vice President, Network. “Road or rail transport is a more sustainable option for connections between Helsinki Airport and these cities. We understand that this decision is disappointing for customers who have used these flights and we regret the inconvenience this causes them. However, we must take into account both economic and environmental considerations.”

In the summer of 2023, Finnair will operate four bus routes per day between Turku and Helsinki Airport and four bus routes per day between Tampere and Helsinki Airport. From May 8th these connections will start at the central bus stations of Turku and Tampere.

The bus connections can be booked together with the connecting flight. With the bus connection included in the booking, Finnair guarantees the connection even if the bus or flight is delayed. In addition, customers arriving by bus at Helsinki Airport can take advantage of priority check-in, baggage drop and security to ensure a smooth connection. The buses run on biodiesel and have internet connections and USB charging options.