Finnair Is Replacing 2 Of Its Shortest Routes With Buses

Finnair will soon stop flying two of its shortest domestic routes, with the services operated instead by bus. This means that as of May 1st, the airports of Tampere (TMP) and Turku (TKU) will no longer have a direct flight connection to the airline’s hub at Helsinki Airport (HEL).

Actual flying time on the routes is around 25 minutes, while bus services are scheduled to take around two hours to travel the 170 km (105 mi). The airline has cited environmental reasons for the change, with bus connections leaving a much lower carbon footprint than the flying equivalent.

Photo: Adomas Daunoravicius | Shutterstock

In a statement, Finnair’s vice president of network, Perttu Jolma, explained the decision, saying,

“The flights to Tampere and Turku are very short, and the relatively low passenger numbers – around 35 percent load factors – on these routes cause them to have a higher CO2 emission per passenger than many other short routes in our network. Road, or rail, transportation is a more sustainable option for connections between Helsinki Airport and these cities. We understand that this decision disappoints customers who have used the flights, and we regret the inconvenience this causes them. We must, however, take both economic and environmental considerations into account.”

Both routes were previously operated by the airline’s ATR 72-500 aircraft, each seating a total of 68 or 72 passengers, depending on the configuration. The replacement bus services are already visible on the airline’s website when making a booking:

Image: Finnair

A streamlined bus service with guaranteed connections

To begin with, from May 1st, Finnair will operate four bus services per day between Helsinki Airport and both Tampere and Turku Airports. From May 8th, the services will instead run to and from Tamepere and Turku’s central bus stations. The buses run on biodiesel, and have WiFi connectivity and USB charging points. The airline also guarantees connections for passengers in case of delays to bus services or flights.

Photo: Finnair

To compensate for their longer travel times and to streamline their journey, customers arriving by bus can make use of the priority check-in and security lanes at Helsinki Airport. Passengers who were booked to travel on one of the canceled flights are being contacted by the airline and offered a full refund if the new itinerary is not suitable.

Finnair’s sustainability focus

Finnair is committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2045, and replacing short domestic flights with bus services is one way of helping the oneworld member achieve this goal. It remains to be seen if other carriers will follow suit.

 Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

The airline’s long-haul fleet is made up primarily of 17 fuel efficient Airbus A350-900s which goes some way to reducing the environmental impact of flying too. But Finnair’s increased focus on sustainability reached new heights last month, when the airline made its largest ever purchase of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), totaling 750 tons.

What do you think of Finnair’s decision to replace two of its shortest flights with bus services? Do you expect other airlines to do the same? Share your thoughts by commenting below.