It is not only in France that air routes are being cut for environmental reasons. Finnair, for example, has just announced that it will cancel its two shortest domestic routes to Turku in western Helsinki and Tampere in the north as of May 1 for environmental reasons. Both routes will be replaced by bus connections. 

35% load factor on flights from Turku and Tampere

The airline has already replaced its midday flights from these cities with these routes to reduce the carbon footprint of these routes. The road and rail connections are more environmentally friendly to connect these cities to Finnair's hub in Helsinki. "The flights to Tampere and Turku are particularly short and the limited number of passengers (about 35% load factor) means that carbon emissions per passenger are higher than on other similar routes in our network. Road or rail transport is a more sustainable option for connections between Helsinki Airport and these cities. We understand that this decision may disappoint travelers and we regret the inconvenience caused by this measure. However, we have to consider the economic and environmental factors," says Perttu Jolma, vice president of Finnair's network. 

Many passengers are already no longer using airplanes

The travel time from Turku to Tampere from Helsinki by road is 35 minutes, while the current flight time is 25 minutes. Most passengers arriving at Helsinki Airport to travel with Finnair, for example from the Tampere region, already travel by bus, train or car. This was already the case before the pandemic: 70% of Finnair Plus members living in Tampere departing from Helsinki Airport reached it by bus, train or car. In the summer of 2023, the company will operate four daily bus trips between Turku and Helsinki Airport and four daily bus trips between Tampere and Helsinki Airport. From May 8, these routes will be accessible from the central bus stations in Turku and Tampere.