> Ban your airlines from accessing Russian airspace
> The Chinese don’t
> “This is extremely unfair”
Full Article Text
Finnair said Chinese airlines’ continued access to Russian airspace has created “extremely unfair” competition, highlighting a challenge that has weighed on the Finnish carrier since Moscow closed its skies to Western airlines.
Chinese carriers continued to add capacity between Europe and China while benefiting from shorter flight times through Russian airspace, CEO Turkka Kuusisto told a group of reporters on Wednesday at the company’s New York office.
The carrier long relied on Helsinki’s proximity to Asia to carry passengers on the shortest routes between Europe and cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo. Since losing access to Russian airspace, Finnair has been forced to reroute flights and redeploy capacity, while Chinese rivals continue to enjoy a cost and time advantage.
“In my opinion, it’s an extremely unfair and unlevel playing field,” Kuusisto said.
A flight from Shanghai to Helsinki now takes more than 12 hours, compared with about eight hours when Russian airspace was available, he said.
The airline is also facing growing competition from Gulf carriers. Finnair last month canceled winter service to Doha and Dubai because of security concerns linked to the conflict in the Middle East. The routes account for about 3% of capacity and passenger traffic.
“If and when the situation gets de-escalated, and there will be a permanent peace, we need to rethink,” Kuusisto said. Emirates meanwhile is set to launch daily Dubai-Helsinki flights.
Despite the competitive pressures, Kuusisto said Finnair remains confident in Helsinki’s role as a connecting hub, arguing rivals have historically struggled to build sustainable networks through the airport.
“I doubt that they’re optimized when it comes to connecting somewhere else out of Helsinki. And that is our unique value proposition.”
Kuusisto also said Finnair has not encountered jet fuel shortages across its network due to the Middle East conflict, adding that more than 80% of its short-haul flights from Helsinki could operate by carrying enough fuel for both directions if necessary. The carrier has hedged 81% of its third-quarter fuel consumption and 71% of its fourth-quarter needs.
It’s funny how all NATO has gained from Finland joining is 1300 km of borderland liability, and all Finland has gained from joining NATO is an increased risk of being attacked along said borderland liability. You can’t say the relationship is not reciprocal
Joining either NATO or the EU at this point is like buying a ticket for and boarding the Titanic after it has already struck the iceberg.
Oh I’m sorry I thought competition was what made capitalism so beautiful.
Competition is good when the West wins. If someone else wins it’s unfair and cheating.
> Cut economic ties with Russia and put up a fence
> Finland’s economy falls, highest unemployment rate in Europe
> “How could Russia do this to us?!”
I thought capitalism was all about competition. /s
The fence was put up to stop instrumentalized migration - not Russians.
I am sure millions tracked through the snowy taiga of Karelia to walk into Finland.
Lol, what?
Always funny when you see a comment like this and get curious about what other bizarre takes only to find out it’s an account made 7 hours ago and their first and only comment is literally:
Brother can’t help himself 😂
The fuck is “instrumentali,ed migration” wait nvm I know. You’re just a piece of shit xenophobic racist.
No you don’t understand. Putin was personally loading migrants into a big red circus cannon and firing them over the border into Finland.
Stanning as a failed appendage of Nazi Germany is a weird flex.
Hilarious comment ngl
Europe continuing to shoot itself in the foot and then whinging about it will never stop being hilarious.
Uhh… Why would Chinese airlines not have access to Russian airspace?
Apparently they missed the memo that they were supposed to voluntarily ban themselves from flying over Russian airspace in solidarity with European airlines.
boo fucking hoo.
“If and when the situation gets de-escalated, and there will be a permanent peace, we need to rethink,” Kuusisto said…
So go all in with US demands. Brilliant.
🤣
