Finnair’s flight connections between Turku and Helsinki must be continued

Finland’s national airline Finnair has today announced that it will replace flights between Turku and Helsinki with bus connections from the beginning of May. Finnair intends to take customers departing from Turku for morning flights to Helsinki Airport by bus, which leaves Turku at 4 a.m. Similarly, customers would travel from Helsinki Airport to Turku by bus late in the evening.

Finnair’s decision is detrimental to the Turku City Region and must be reassessed. Finnair has not discussed its decision in advance with the municipalities in the Turku City Region. Finnair’s decision-making schedule has also not allowed for negotiation between the municipalities and the state in the matter.

“Functional flight connections from Turku to Helsinki and beyond are important for business life in the Turku City Region. From the perspective of the Turku City Region, the airport’s transport connections must be improved, not reduced. When negotiating the Government Programme, clear policies must be drawn up on the future of flight connections within Finland, and Turku Airport’s operational connections must be maintained also in the future,” says Niina Alho, Vice Chair of the Board of Turku City Region.

Helsinki Airport and Turku Airport, both important for Finland’s international traffic, are part of the TEN-T core transport network.

“It’s unfortunate that Finnair decided to announce the discontinuation of the connections in the week when the new Parliament has just been elected and the country is led by a caretaker government. Finnair is a listed company, but regional air connections are an issue that has been regularly negotiated between the state and regional centres in recent years. Turku Airport is part of the EU’s TEN-T core network, and the development of the airport must have a special national interest. Regional flights are relevant to the operating conditions of Turku Airport, and the state is responsible for maintaining those also outside of Helsinki,” says Jukka Vornanen, Director of Turku City Region.

Together with the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and the Tampere Region, the Turku City Region forms a triangle of growth that produces more than half of Finland’s GDP. Growth in the Turku City Region feeds the success of Finland as a whole, and smooth transport connections are a key precondition for this development.

The Turku City Region Joint Municipal Authority is a cooperation organisation established in 2022 by Kaarina, Lieto, Naantali, Raisio, Rusko and Turku. Its task is to develop regional cooperation and the joint interests of the region. The highest decision-making body of the joint municipal authority is the 13-member Board of Turku City Region, chaired by Mayor of Turku Minna Arve and vice-chaired by Niina Alho, Chair of the City Council of Kaarina. The joint municipal authority’s operational activities are led by Director of Turku City Region Jukka Vornanen.

Further information:
Director of Turku City Region Jukka Vornanen, tel. +358 40 593 6791