November 04, 2021:  Finnair will resume flights to two of its domestic destinations, Turku and Tampere, where flight connections have been on hold since spring 2020 due to the pandemic. Finnair will complement the flight connections to Turku and Tampere with a new type of bus connection, to reduce the CO2 footprint of these routes. The routes are among the shortest in Finnair network, although they have been operated with energy-efficient ATR aircraft, their emissions load per passenger is clearly heavier than on other routes.  

“Turku and Tampere are an important part of our network. Traveling on these routes focuses on international exchange travel, and we want to continue to offer the best range of connections to customers in the regions.” says Perttu Jolma, VP, Traffic Planning at Finnair. 
'Combining different modes of transport is an important tool in reducing carbon emissions from transport, and it is also in line with Finland's national emission reduction targets.' 

The scheduled time for flights to Turku and Tampere is 35 minutes, but the actual flight time is even shorter, about 25 minutes. Such short flights are usually operated only in areas where the terrain is difficult and the flights cross sea areas or mountains, for example. Intermodality is a growing trend, and there is already a wider debate in Europe on how to limit the number of short-haul flights. 

“We want to offer travelers the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint by switching to a bus connection. We guarantee an onward connection to the booked destination even in the event of a possible disruption in the bus connection,” says Jolma. 

According to a study based on Finnair's customer data, the majority of those departing from Turku or Tampere already used a non-flight connection to arrive at Helsinki Airport in 2019, when the flights were operated with several daily frequencies.  A smooth bus connection offers an opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions also for customers who would otherwise travel to Helsinki Airport by car. 

Tickets for Turku and Tampere flights can be booked at finnair.com. Bus connection tickets will go on sale later in the spring of 2022, and will only be sold together with connecting flights. Bus stops are located at Tampere and Turku airports, as well as Turku and Tampere city centers. Finnair is starting discussions with possible bus partners.