Finnair airplane in the air departing from Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva
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Finnair has been ranked the worst airline in Europe by a new consumer index after months of flight cancellations, delays, and customer complaints. The company is also facing a financial hit of up to €100 million and a severe decline in public trust.
According to the 2025 Flightright Index, published by German outlet Bild, Finnair scored 2.48 out of 5, placing last among 20 European airlines. The worst score came in the reliability category, where Finnair earned only 1.5 points due to cancellations and delays.
The carrier performed better in compensation handling but was still outperformed by all but two low-cost rivals, Ryanair and Vueling.
“Finnair is traditionally seen as a premium airline, yet it landed at the bottom with budget carriers,” Flightright’s Feyza Türkön told Bild. “This shows that ticket price doesn’t automatically reflect service quality.”
The poor rating coincides with a turbulent period for the airline. Finnair cancelled over 1,300 flights in the second quarter of 2025 due to a protracted industrial dispute involving ground staff. The strike, led by the Finnish Aviation Union (IAU), ended only in late June after six months of failed negotiations with employer association Palta.
Finnair reported a comparable operating result of €10.3 million for the second quarter, down from €43.6 million in the same period last year. The company estimates that direct losses from the industrial action reached €51 million by the end of June, while the broader impact on annual revenue may approach €100 million.
CEO Turkka Kuusisto apologised to customers in the airline’s half-year financial report. “I want to offer my sincere apologies to every customer whose travel plans were disrupted by the industrial action,” he said.
Despite the disruption, the airline claims it operated 94 percent of scheduled flights during the strike period. Yet internal feedback data tells a different story. Finnair said the volume of customer complaints reached unprecedented levels, with thousands facing delays in refunds and compensation.
“This is a level of feedback Finnair has never experienced before,” said Jonna Vermilä-Alajääski, head of Finnair’s disruption services, in comments to Finnish media.
The airline’s brand, once associated with punctuality and Nordic reliability, has now become synonymous with service breakdowns. Earlier customer complaints focused on cost-cutting measures, such as the reduction of in-flight offerings. In recent months, complaints have shifted toward missed connections, unresolved refunds, and unresponsive service.
The damage to Finnair’s reputation could be long-lasting. The company is now forced to rebuild consumer confidence at a time when demand for travel is growing, but competition is intensifying.
Trust, as Kuusisto acknowledged in the company’s report, may be harder to restore than financial losses.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
