Finnair to outsource aviation jobs

By Mary Vancura on 11-Apr-2012

Aviation jobs are to be lost in Finland but created in Switzerland, after the Finnish flag carrying airline, Finnair, announced plans to outsource its engine and component service.

The airline is to delegate responsibility for some of its manufacturing and maintenance jobs to Swiss firm, SR Technics, as part of its ongoing moves to bring down costs.

The struggling carrier will shut down its domestically-based engine servicing operations and reorganize its components division. It is thought that around 350 jobs will be affected by the reshuffling in total, with 280 of those positions being cut.

The move to outsource the jobs follows last month’s decision to sell the Finnair catering services to a subsidiary company of German flag carrier, Lufthansa, which will see the transfer of some 650 staff.

Head of Finnair’s Technical Services, Kimmo Soini, said that it was a difficult decision to make, explaining, “Our personnel are highly competent but our volumes are not competitive.”

Finnair spokeswoman, Paevyt Tallqvist, said that the deal with SR Technics would result in significant savings for the airline, aiding with its previously announced mission to reduce annual costs by €140 million by 2014. She said, “[The company must] focus on its own core business as an airline and to partner with world class companies in other parts of our operations.”