Finnair to launch flights to five regional airports without state aid

Finnair will begin commercial flights to Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Kemi and Kokkola in late February 2028, when the current state-funded flight contracts for the routes expire, Yle reports.

The airline says it expects the routes to be commercially viable if schedules are planned to support connections through Helsinki Airport. Some services will serve two destinations using the same aircraft, Finnair chief executive Turkka Kuusisto said.

Flights will use ATR turboprop aircraft. Joensuu and Jyväskylä will have daily overnight services, as well as a triangular route from Helsinki via Joensuu and Jyväskylä back to Helsinki, designed to feed afternoon connections. Kajaani will have two return flights a day, with some services continuing to Kuusamo.

Flights to Kemi and Kokkola will operate on a multi-stop Oulu-Kemi-Kokkola route in the morning and afternoon. Kokkola will also have a direct overnight flight five days a week. An overnight service arrives in the evening and departs again in the morning.

Finnair ended its own flights to several regional airports after the Covid-19 pandemic. The state has supported the connections through temporary purchasing decisions since 2021. In October, officials at the Ministry of Transport and Communications proposed ending state purchases of domestic flights when current contracts expire.