Finland's airport operator Finavia has called on the government to stop subsidising flights between five provincial airports and Helsinki.
National airline Finnair signed a two-year agreement with the Finnish state last year to continue flights to the five regional airports — Kokkola-Pietarsaari, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani and Kemi-Tornio — until at least March 2026.
The state also subsidises flights to Savonlinna and Pori.
However, the decision to continue subsidising the routes has been widely criticised — with an analysis by Yle last week revealing that every return flight from Helsinki to Kemi costs the Finnish state 8,586 euros, as ticket sales are not enough to make the flights profitable.
The environmental impact of the short-haul flights has also been noted as a reason for their discontinuation.
In its statement on Monday, Finavia proposed reducing the nation's network of airports to meet genuine market demand.
The graphic below shows how the state supports flights to different provincial airports.
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