Finnair explores pilot furloughs amid China pullback

Finnair has begun talks about temporary layoffs with its long-haul pilots following a reduction in its services to China because of the coronavirus outbreak. Negotiations began Monday, the airline says. No decisions have yet been made. “We are currently evaluating the impacts flight cancellations due to the novel coronavirus have on our employee resource needs if the exceptional situation prolongs,” says Finnair. “We have now started a co-determination process concerning long-haul pilots to evaluate possible need for temporary layoffs.” The carrier has cancelled its direct flights to China until March 28 and halved the frequency of its Hong Kong service to once per day. CE Topi Manner said earlier this month that he expected the coronavirus to have a “relatively limited” impact on the airline’s earnings. <br/>