Finnair Plus - What's happened to ICN flights?

So I was due to travel on AY41 HEL-ICN on 12 June (connecting from LHR), got notified yesterday (12 days notice!) that the flight was cancelled. No explanation even when asked. Looking at EF it also shows cancelled on 13 June and several days are zeroed out. What's going on? Rebooked on CX via HKG, so maybe it did me a favour!

My guess is that reason for cutting three flights (HEL-ICN June 12, 13 and 19) is due to lack of aircraft. OH-LQF is under maintenance at SIN and it seems to be delayed. Aircfaft was supposed return back to service at 11th June. New time for return is now scheduled to 23th June.

They cut also HKG extra flights 61/62 and DEL before 23th June.

This is pure speculation without any official info.

So I was due to travel on AY41 HEL-ICN on 12 June (connecting from LHR), got notified yesterday (12 days notice!) that the flight was cancelled. No explanation even when asked. Looking at EF it also shows cancelled on 13 June and several days are zeroed out. What's going on? Rebooked on CX via HKG, so maybe it did me a favour!

HEL - ICN is actually a very pleasant flight, relatively short flight time so best just to rest and prepare for the day ahead in Seoul. This is one of the few routes where I prefer AY to CX by far from Europe.

My guess is that reason for cutting three flights (HEL-ICN June 12, 13 and 19) is due to lack of aircraft. OH-LQF is under maintenance at SIN and it seems to be delayed.


That, and a shortage of over flight rights; see:
http://www.finnairgroup.com/info/index_9.html

And for all the cancelled flights in less than two weeks, AY happily pays the required 600€ EU compensation. Or not? :)

The flight right restrictions might have something to do with the Russian retaliation of the EU CO2 scheme, hope they figure the thing out though, Finnair will be among the first to go bankrupt if the flight-trade-war truly starts.

Is this the way AY plans to handle the outsourced maintenance also in the future? No control over maintenance times at all?

So the strategy today is to first outsource the strategic Scandinavian market and then to cut flights to strategic (l/h) destinations?

Additionally, the company has decided to remove a total of four weekly frequencies from the combined Seoul and Hong Kong markets from June 18th through the end of October:

It's probably me, but I totally don't get it.

So the strategy today is to first outsource the strategic Scandinavian market and then to cut flights to strategic (l/h) destinations?

Additionally, the company has decided to remove a total of four weekly frequencies from the combined Seoul and Hong Kong markets from June 18th through the end of October:

It's probably me, but I totally don't get it.
You can't blame AY management for Russia denying the overflight rights. Blame Russia or EU or both or public bureaucracy in general.

AY has no other option but to cut the flights unless they want to fly heck-of-a-detour to avoid Russian airspace. And AY is still operating a record number of Asian flight over the summer, so it's not that they would be pulling out from the market.
Is this the way AY plans to handle the outsourced maintenance also in the future? No control over maintenance times at all?
If this keeps happening again and again it'll be a different story, but its not like maintanance issues like this could never happen with any other airline and/or maintenance contractor.

AY has no other option but to cut the flights unless they want to fly heck-of-a-detour to avoid Russian airspace. And AY is still operating a record number of Asian flight over the summer, so it's not that they would be pulling out from the market.


HKG isn't SO much of a detour. Taking a very rough estimate, using HEL-TZX-HKG route on Great Circle map gives 9495 km, HEL-HKG 7821. But as said this is a very rough estimate, just finding a random route that doesn't even touch RU airspace. Also, if I am not totally wrong the overflights concerned are mainly Siberia, HEL-HKG doesn't overfly Siberia.

ICN yes a big detour - couldn't work out how much on cross-polar routing. (AY used to fly HEL-NRT cross-polar)

HKG isn't SO much of a detour. Taking a very rough estimate, using HEL-TZX-HKG route on Great Circle map gives 9495 km, HEL-HKG 7821.
That is quite a detour.

That's almost a quarter more distance, hours more flight time, needs an A340, can't be done with the current schedule i.e. would need to rework the slots and equipment rotation etc. etc.

In other works it would hardly be a realistic and profitable option, especially since passengers would have to be inconvenienced anyway because of a new schedule, might as well just reroute them / move them to the other HKG flight.