Russian news agency AK&M reported on 29 December that the Finnish Air Line Pilots’ Association (SLL) has filed notice of two 24-hour strikes scheduled for 9 and 13 January if collective-agreement negotiations with Finnair remain deadlocked. Although the walk-outs fall outside the 24-hour horizon, the official notice triggers immediate contingency planning for global mobility teams.
The dispute centres on pay scales and rostering rules after the current agreement expired on 30 September. SLL says inflation-linked pay rises offered by the airline fall short of increases granted to cabin crew and ground staff earlier in 2025. Finnair, still leveraging a post-pandemic restructuring plan, argues that any wage hikes must be offset by productivity gains.
Should the strikes proceed, Finnair estimates up to 300 flights—including critical Asian and intra-Nordic business routes—could be cancelled, affecting roughly 33,000 passengers. Helsinki-Vantaa, used by many multinationals as a hub into East Asia, would be hit hardest. Travellers with connecting tickets on Oneworld partners may face mis-connections because Finnair’s short-haul network feeds long-haul departures.
![Finnair Pilots Announce January Strike Ballots, Citing Stalled Contract Talks]()
Travel disruptions often create unexpected visa headaches, especially when employees must be rerouted through countries outside their usual Schengen itineraries. VisaHQ’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) can expedite Schengen and transit visa arrangements, provide real-time entry-requirement updates, and coordinate courier pickups, helping mobility managers keep staff moving even if last-minute changes are needed because of the Finnair strike.
Finnair says it will publish a revised timetable by 5 January and offer free re-booking or refunds. Mobility managers are advised to flag employees transiting through Helsinki between 8–14 January, secure alternative routings via Scandinavian Airlines or Lufthansa, and monitor ground-handling capacity, which could be stretched by charter carriers filling the gap.
Although Finnish labour law allows mediation until 48 hours before a strike, observers note that similar pilot actions in December 2019 and February 2023 were only averted hours before departure banks. Corporates with time-critical cargo should also prepare for belly-hold capacity shortfalls.
The dispute centres on pay scales and rostering rules after the current agreement expired on 30 September. SLL says inflation-linked pay rises offered by the airline fall short of increases granted to cabin crew and ground staff earlier in 2025. Finnair, still leveraging a post-pandemic restructuring plan, argues that any wage hikes must be offset by productivity gains.
Should the strikes proceed, Finnair estimates up to 300 flights—including critical Asian and intra-Nordic business routes—could be cancelled, affecting roughly 33,000 passengers. Helsinki-Vantaa, used by many multinationals as a hub into East Asia, would be hit hardest. Travellers with connecting tickets on Oneworld partners may face mis-connections because Finnair’s short-haul network feeds long-haul departures.
Travel disruptions often create unexpected visa headaches, especially when employees must be rerouted through countries outside their usual Schengen itineraries. VisaHQ’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) can expedite Schengen and transit visa arrangements, provide real-time entry-requirement updates, and coordinate courier pickups, helping mobility managers keep staff moving even if last-minute changes are needed because of the Finnair strike.
Finnair says it will publish a revised timetable by 5 January and offer free re-booking or refunds. Mobility managers are advised to flag employees transiting through Helsinki between 8–14 January, secure alternative routings via Scandinavian Airlines or Lufthansa, and monitor ground-handling capacity, which could be stretched by charter carriers filling the gap.
Although Finnish labour law allows mediation until 48 hours before a strike, observers note that similar pilot actions in December 2019 and February 2023 were only averted hours before departure banks. Corporates with time-critical cargo should also prepare for belly-hold capacity shortfalls.
