Flybe is taking over more and more domestic flight routes in Finland

Seinäjoki wants to re-introduce scheduled air service to Helsinki

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Flybe Nordic, an airline owned jointly by Finnair and Flybe, has quickly broadened its selection of scheduled destinations in Finland. The company, which commenced operations in the autumn, already flies to 11 different airports in Finland. In March, Kajaani will become Flybe Nordic’s 12th Finnish destination.
      The co-owned company sprang into existence last summer, when the British operator Flybe and the Finnish national carrier Finnair took over the Finnish firm Finncomm Airlines.
      The ownership of the new company is split 60 per cent to Flybe and 40 per cent to Finnair.
      The former Finncomm aircraft are now operating in the Flybe colours.
      Flights between Kajaani and Helsinki threatened to cease altogether, when the national carrier Finnair announced that it would axe the unprofitable route. Flybe, however, is coming to the rescue by starting flights from Helsinki to the provincial destination on March 1st.
     
The passenger volume on domestic routes went up in Finland last year. At Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, the figure for domestic passengers exceeded 2.7 million, an increase of 22 per cent from the year before.
      In Oulu, on the other hand, last year’s passenger count was the highest in the airport’s history.
      The number of passengers (domestic and international) reached around 974,000, which translates to an increase of 39 per cent from 2010. Some 850,000 of these were on domestic routes.
      Marketing director Kimmo Ruotsalainen from the national airport operator Finavia believes the growth will continue, even though drawing up long-term predictions is difficult due to the uncertainty in the economic climate.
     
So far, destinations without regular scheduled flights are the Seinäjoki Airport, owned by a foundation, and the Mikkeli Airport, owned by the city itself.
      Scheduled services from Seinäjoki ended in December, when Flybe terminated flights from there to Helsinki. Seinäjoki is trying to re-launch the service in the course of the spring. According to marketing director Teemu Majasaari, plans are afoot to commence operations in March.
      “The negotiations are still under way, so I am not able to say which airline will possibly start on the route.”
      ”Flight service is needed from Seinäjoki to Helsinki-Vantaa, from where connections to other destinations are possible. So far the passenger volumes have been slightly too low”, Majasaari explains.
     
The Rengonharju Airport is owned by a foundation whose members include the City of Seinäjoki and a clutch of surrounding communities. Previously the municipalities have supported the air traffic for example by purchasing a certain number of airline tickets.
      Juha Luukko, director at the Seinäjoki Region Business Service Centre, reckons that some form of support will be needed also with the prospective new operator.
      "A scheduled connection is important for the area’s business activities as well as reasons of image”, Luukko explains.
      The airport is in any case constantly being kept operational. A certain number of business flights and ambulance flights operate from there. In February the winter’s first charter flight from Seinäjoki will take off to the Canary Islands.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Flybe and Finnair joint venture to open nine new routes (25.8.2011)
  Flybe to fly short Finnair routes (5.8.2010)

Helsingin Sanomat