Finnair cancels flights to North Asia due to Russian airspace issues

[jrfsp]

Glad they've rerouted. I'm flying HND-HEL-CPH in August and was almost going to rebook via BKK... lucky Qantas' hold time is atrocious and I didn't get to.

Just be prepared that the HND flights might not happen....they keep getting pushed back.

At the moment scheduled to commence in July but far from certain

 

[jfl]

Just be prepared that the HND flights might not happen....they keep getting pushed back.

At the moment scheduled to commence in July but far from certain

True. NRT would be fine either way.

 

[Townsend]

View attachment 272580
At least they can still fly to Singapore, skirting round Russia and Ukraine.

We were on the HEL to SIN flight this Monday and this is the route we took. Did mean that we missed out on the long awaited Laksa in the Qf SIN lounge.

The Finnair non-schengen flights seem to have taken a real battering with the HEL non schengen part of the terminal virtually closed, and not looking like opening anytime soon, However the schengen part of the terminal is almost fully reopen with the exception of the now obligatory building work. (virtually every major airport we went to seem to be in a major construction phrase). There seems to be the same number of people travelling now as there was pre covid.

 

[jrfsp]

Just spent ages trying to proactively re-route my MEL-NRT-HEL-LHR and LHR-HEL-HND-SYD.

The new timings ex NRT wont connect with the MEL flight and its likely the HND flights will either be postponed or wont connect to SYD anyway.

Trying to find any business availability in / out of any AU port is impossible. I managed (after hours of searching options) to find PER-DOH-VIE-LHR on QR/BA and LHR-HEL-SIN-SYD on AY/BA.

 

[jrfsp]

Changes in Finnair flights to Asia and Russia

www.finnair.com

Further update

 

[Telemachus]

Just spent ages trying to proactively re-route my MEL-NRT-HEL-LHR and LHR-HEL-HND-SYD.

The new timings ex NRT wont connect with the MEL flight and its likely the HND flights will either be postponed or wont connect to SYD anyway.

Trying to find any business availability in / out of any AU port is impossible. I managed (after hours of searching options) to find PER-DOH-VIE-LHR on QR/BA and LHR-HEL-SIN-SYD on AY/BA.

Well done on finding and snaring those award seats. I’m on a revenue ticket for SYD-SIN-HEL-LHR in May-June and am watching AY’s shuffling of schedules to accommodate the longer route. Hoping of course that connections won't suffer. Even allowing for the routinely short MCT at HEL there have been some remarkably tight times in the last week between arrival of AY132 (SIN-HEL) and departure of AY1331 (HEL-LHR). Transit times at SIN for pax with onward connections from AY131 (HEL-SIN) have also shrunk accordingly, as per @Townsend’s experience. Still early days and it may be very different within a few weeks. Or not.

Watching AY132 right now on FR24: it’s crossed the Slovakia/Poland border after executing a right turn on a heading that will track over Poland to the west of the Ukraine and Belarus borders.

 

[jrfsp]

Well done on finding and snaring those award seats. I’m on a revenue ticket for SYD-SIN-HEL-LHR in May-June and am watching AY’s shuffling of schedules to accommodate the longer route. Hoping of course that connections won't suffer. Even allowing for the routinely short MCT at HEL there have been some remarkably tight times in the last week between arrival of AY132 (SIN-HEL) and departure of AY1331 (HEL-LHR). Transit times at SIN for pax with onward connections from AY131 (HEL-SIN) have also shrunk accordingly, as per @Townsend’s experience. Still early days and it may be very different within a few weeks. Or not.

Watching AY132 right now on FR24: it’s crossed the Slovakia/Poland border after executing a right turn on a heading that will track over Poland to the west of the Ukraine and Belarus borders.

At least if you're on a revenue booking, they will have to offer a reroute if doesn't work. On a partner award booking they can simply refund if no other award seats are available - hence why i changed it the risk was too big.

It looks like they are moving the AY132 dept an hour earlier to maintain arrival time in HEL, schedules haven't been updated past April yet.

 

[Telemachus]

At least if you're on a revenue booking, they will have to offer a reroute if doesn't work. On a partner award booking they can simply refund if no other award seats are available - hence why i changed it the risk was too big.

It looks like they are moving the AY132 dept an hour earlier to maintain arrival time in HEL, schedules haven't been updated past April yet.

Agree entirely: it’s one of those times when holding a paid ticket makes sense. We have quickly reverted to limited choice of route and some silly prices are being asked, so for a new booking you have to be keen to go. The scheduling risks can be managed, though, and EF schedule alerts have been set.

 

[jrfsp]

Unsurprisingly AY have cancelled HND flights in June (guessing pushed back).

Glad i cancelled going via Tokyo now!

 

[Mattg]

Interesting to see that Finnair is launching a new HEL-BOM route, with flights going on sale next month.

Makes sense to redeploy aircraft to a market less affected by the Russian airspace closure, if there is money to be made there.

Finnair already flies to Delhi.

Finnair Adds Mumbai To Summer Schedule | Aviation Week Network

The carrier is also altering plans for Asia flights because of the war in Ukraine.

www.routesonline.com

 

[SeatBackForward]

Interesting to see that Finnair is launching a new HEL-BOM route, with flights going on sale next month.

Makes sense to redeploy aircraft to a market less affected by the Russian airspace closure, if there is money to be made there.

Finnair already flies to Delhi.

Finnair Adds Mumbai To Summer Schedule | Aviation Week Network

The carrier is also altering plans for Asia flights because of the war in Ukraine.

www.routesonline.com

Be interesting to see the flight timing. The last time I was looking at Finnair out of India it never worked well with something like a 18hr transit in DEL. after having come from Australian East coast on other OW carriers.

 

[kelvedon]

JAL are flying in an easterly direction via Alaska and Greenland to avoid Russian airspace on their LHR flights, but from April 17th are going to be flying the southern route skirting through Turkey and Kazakhstan on it’s return journey to take advantage of the jet stream. The northerly route adds over two hours to the flight time.

 

[Quickstatus]

Finnair stock is down 35%

Though majority owned by Finn Government.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Be interesting to see the flight timing. The last time I was looking at Finnair out of India it never worked well with something like a 18hr transit in DEL. after having come from Australian East coast on other OW carriers.

It's an excellent opportunity to stay a few days if so inclined.

Back OT - I can't see the 'Special Military Operation' ceasing anytime soon.