Finnair to likely start Tartu flights again from end of March

Finnair plane landing at Tartu airport. Photo: Margus Ansu

Considering the need to deal with the marketing of the route, Finnish airline Finnair considered it reasonable and necessary that flights between Tartu and Helsinki start at the end of March and that flights take place once a day instead of twice during the summer business travel low season, it emerged at a meeting between the city of Tartu and the airline on Friday.

Tartu organized a procurement to find an airline for the Tartu-Helsinki route, according to the city's wishes, the flights were supposed to start in January and take place 12 times a week. Finnair was the only one to make an offer.

Tartu city secretary Juri Molder said after Friday's meeting with the representatives of the airline, where the points of the contract were reviewed, that the time of starting the flights was also discussed, which the conditions enable to postpone by up to three months. Finnair's recommendation was to postpone the start in order to have time for marketing and this will help reduce the expectation of compensation.

Secondly, discussion included the shifting of flight times to ensure better connectivity. Thirdly, the city and airline representatives also spoke about the flight schedule of the summer period from Midsummer until mid-August, when there are fewer business travelers. Then, according to the proposal, the flights would take place once a day instead of twice. This means a lower financial burden for the city.

Molder also did not say what the size of Finnair's offer was, but he noted that Finnair will submit a detailed offer by Monday. On Thursday, the issue of flights from Tartu will be on the agenda of the city council as an information point. According to Molder, the signing of the contract could take place in the last days of this year or at the beginning of next year. Ticket sales cannot begin until the contract is signed.