Finnair to furlough thirty-six long-haul pilots amid wetlease changes

Finnair announced it will furlough 36 of its long-haul pilots starting by the end of September 2025, with furloughs expected to continue at least until May 2026. The decision follows changes in the airline’s wetlease operations for a partner carrier.

The furloughs come after ongoing industrial action by the Finnair Pilots’ Union, which began in December 2024, significantly impacted Finnair’s ability to fulfil wetlease agreements. As a result, future collaboration with the partner airline will be reduced to just one route, down from two.

Finnair initiated change negotiations earlier this year, in line with Finnish labour law, to address the potential need for layoffs or furloughs among its pilots.

“Unfortunately, the pilots’ industrial actions have affected our ability to operate our wetlease operations with the reliability that is needed, resulting in changes in our collaboration and consequently, the need to furlough some of our pilots. The situation is unfortunate for all parties,” said Jaakko Schildt, Finnair’s Chief Operating Officer.

Despite the setback, Finnair emphasised its commitment to maintaining stable operations on its core network.