Ground staff workers at Helsinki Airport staged a sudden walkout on Tuesday afternoon, a situation which will likely cause delays for passengers, according to national airport operator Finavia.
The walkout, which started at 3pm on Tuesday, may cause delays in the arrival of passengers' baggage as well as for check-ins, Finavia said in a press release.
The walkout has prompted Finnair to cancel dozens of flights as of 7:12pm on Tuesday. The airline detailed the cancellations in a statement.
The situation caused delays in the afternoon, for example, a flight from Hamburg landed at 3:20pm, but the checked bags had not yet been delivered to passengers by 4:55pm.
Airline companies hold the responsibility for handling of passengers' baggage at the airport.
Finavia has asked passengers to contact their airlines about baggage issues directly. Meanwhile fliers who are travelling with just carry-on bags and have already checked in are advised to proceed straight to the security check and to their gates.
According to a press release issued by the Finnish Aviation Union (IAU), the walkout was a spontaneous reaction to a decision made by Finniar to stop offering so-called Zonal Employee Discount vouchers to ground staff workers, which can be used towards flight ticket discounts.
Finavia apologised for the inconvenience the situation may cause passengers, noting that it was not involved in the matter. The operator added that it had no information about the possible duration of the situation.
