Finnair Plus - Bad punctuality

We all know that AY flights are often delayed. According to the Danish takeoff.nu Finnair was the third worst airline after British Airways and Air Malta during the first quarter of 2008 (Association of European Airlines: delays at arrival). Only 71,4 % of planes arrived on time (or less than 15 minutes delayed).

Finnair has explained that it is due to more connecting passengers but this is a lousy excuse because Air France was the third best after Malev and Czech Airlines. Think of all the negative comments that you have from Paris - Charles de Gaulle.

We all know that AY flights are often delayed. According to the Danish takeoff.nu Finnair was the third worst airline after British Airways and Air Malta during the first quarter of 2008 (Association of European Airlines: delays at arrival). Only 71,4 % of planes arrived on time (or less than 15 minutes delayed).

Finnair has explained that it is due to more connecting passengers but this is a lousy excuse because Air France was the third best after Malev and Czech Airlines. Think of all the negative comments that you have from Paris - Charles de Gaulle.

So sad. These days it's enough to go to HEL airport and take a look at the departure board. Usually lots of delayed AY departures.

But way to go, MALÉV!! :)

I think the congestion and delays cannot really be completely attributed to Finnair but also Finavia (http://www.finavia.fi/home?) AFAIK AY had lobbied them for several years to start expansion before the bureaucrats reacted.

So pax from/to HEL will experience agony at least until autumn 2009 when the first expansion project is completed. Immediately thereafter a second project focusing on additional longhaul gates will be started and go on until 2011 if I'm not mistaken.

The worst times might be coming Christmas & New Year and the summer seasons 2008 and 2009 when planes and destinations have been added but the facilities remain the same inadequate ones.

Finnair has explained that it is due to more connecting passengers but this is a lousy excuse because Air France was the third best after Malev and Czech Airlines. Think of all the negative comments that you have from Paris - Charles de Gaulle.

Well, AY has a very tight schedule in order to allow incoming Asian flights connecting to EU flights and then coming back to give enough time for connections back to Asia.

I would guess (somebody can probably correct me) that the average connection time in HEL is far less than the average in CDG, AMS or LHR.

AF, KL and BA, for example, has much more incoming/outgoing flights from several airports meaning that they can schedule connections with not so tight times.

To many destinations AY still has only two connections. One morning that leaves HEL around 8-9am. And one afternoon that leaves around 2-3pm.

If AY adds more EU-flights this problem would be less but costs would increase and more hotel nights would probably be required.

This is also, in my opinion, one reason why AY will have a tough time adding more US bound flights as connections becomes tough and without them the longhauls flights wouldn't be filled.