In a Consolidating Aviation Market, Finnair Still Stands Apart

Anyone pushing for the sale of Finland’s flag airline would be well advised to look across the Baltic Sea and to Sweden, where the state’s loss of control over its airline has relegated Stockholm to funneling more traffic into Copenhagen.

That’s a fate that Finnair Oyj should seek to avoid, according to Chairwoman Sanna Suvanto-Harsaae. The 102-year-old airline might operate in what she called a “boring” market, but it serves the vital purpose of connecting remote parts of the country, giving local travelers and companies an edge that might be lost if the airline were to become part of a larger group.