Finncomm Airlines
Encyclopedia
Finnish Commuter Airlines Oy operating as Flybe Nordic, trading as Finncomm Airlines, was a regional airline
with its head office on the grounds of Seinäjoki Airport
in Ilmajoki
, Finland
, near Seinäjoki
. The carrier operates flights to Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden and 16 destinations within Finland from its base at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
. The airline is a member of the European Regions Airline Association
. Finncomm Airlines is the largest domestic air carrier in Finland in terms of number of flights.
The company is replaced by Flybe Nordic
since 2011.
business flying light aircraft to remote airstrips which other carriers did not serve. Seeking to acquire an Air Operator's Certificate
(AOC) to begin scheduled flights, Finncomm partnered with Swedish carrier Golden Air in 1999 until Finncomm could receive their own AOC. The original Golden Air fleet consisted of seven Saab 340
s and one Saab 2000
.
In September 2003, Finncomm received their own AOC and operations began with one Embraer ERJ-145s leased from Swiss International Airlines. Inaugural services between Helsinki
and Stuttgart
were followed by flights to Düsseldorf
and Oslo
with the arrival of a second ERJ-145 from Swiss International Airlines in April 2005.
At the 2005 Paris Air Show, Finncomm announced a $250 million contract for eight ATR-42-500 aircraft with options for a further eight. With the arrival of the ATR-42 in late November 2005, the airline could begin to retire the Saab fleet inherited from Golden Air.
In 2006, at the Farnborough Air Show, Finncomm signed a contract which converted four of their ATR-42 orders to the larger ATR-72-500. This was further supplemented by the purchase of an additional three ATR-72 aircraft at a list price of $54 million.
In January 2008 the carrier announced another order for a further five ATR-72-500 aircraft with deliveries between 2009 and 2011. Once all the orders have been fulfilled by ATR, Finncomm will become the largest operator of the ATR-500 series in Europe.
On 9 September 2010, Finnair Group announced that they have signed a preliminary agreement to acquire all the aircraft from Finnish Commuter Airlines Oy and 20% of Finncomm Airlines Oy for the total sum of €48 million. The schedule for completion of the purchase is yet unknown. Finncomm will however remain their own identity and continue operations normally in the Finnair Group.
On 1 July 2011, Finnair and Flybe
announced they will jointly buy Finncomm for €25 million. The company will be renamed Flybe Nordic
. 60% of shares will be owned by Flybe while Finnair will own 40%.
Finncomm co-operates with Finnair
to provide feeder traffic for their international route network.
The Finnish Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA) ordered some changes to Finncomm's operating procedures and temporarily increased their weather minimums in ATR operations following an incident in late 2006. The incident is currently under investigation and some re-training was ordered by FCAA for pilots regarding new operating procedures. Weather restrictions are no longer in effect and normal operations have resumed.
Finncomm have announced plans to possess 16 ATR-500 series aircraft by the end of 2011, suggesting they plan to convert at least 3 of their options into firm orders.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
with its head office on the grounds of Seinäjoki Airport
Seinäjoki Airport
Seinäjoki Airport is an airport in Ilmajoki, Finland, about south-southwest of Seinäjoki city centre. The airport is operated by Rengonharju-säätiö .-Facilities:...
in Ilmajoki
Ilmajoki
Ilmajoki is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southern Ostrobothnia region. The population of Ilmajoki is and the municipality covers an area of of which is inland water...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, near Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960...
. The carrier operates flights to Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden and 16 destinations within Finland from its base at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
Helsinki Airport or Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is the main international airport of the Helsinki metropolitan region and the whole of Finland. It is located in Vantaa, Finland, about west of Tikkurila, the centre of Vantaa, and north of Helsinki city centre...
. The airline is a member of the European Regions Airline Association
European Regions Airline Association
Founded in 1980, European Regions Airline Association, ERA, is a non-profit trade association representing almost 200 companies involved in European air transport, including airlines, airframe and engine manufacturers, airports, suppliers and service providers from all over Europe.The Association...
. Finncomm Airlines is the largest domestic air carrier in Finland in terms of number of flights.
The company is replaced by Flybe Nordic
Flybe Nordic
Flybe Nordic is an airline, jointly owned by Flybe and Finnair, and began operations on 30 October 2011.-History:The airline was announced on 1 July 2011, when Flybe and Finnair revealed plans to jointly purchase Finnish Commuter Airlines and rebrand the airline Flybe Nordic, with Flybe and...
since 2011.
History
In 1993, Juhani Pakari and his father started Finncomm Airlines as an Air TaxiAir taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
business flying light aircraft to remote airstrips which other carriers did not serve. Seeking to acquire an Air Operator's Certificate
Air Operator's Certificate
An air operator's certificate is the approval granted from a national aviation authority to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. This requires the operator to have personnel, assets and system in place to ensure the safety of its employees and the general public...
(AOC) to begin scheduled flights, Finncomm partnered with Swedish carrier Golden Air in 1999 until Finncomm could receive their own AOC. The original Golden Air fleet consisted of seven Saab 340
Saab 340
The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...
s and one Saab 2000
Saab 2000
|-See also:-References:* Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–94. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1....
.
In September 2003, Finncomm received their own AOC and operations began with one Embraer ERJ-145s leased from Swiss International Airlines. Inaugural services between Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
and Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
were followed by flights to Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
and Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
with the arrival of a second ERJ-145 from Swiss International Airlines in April 2005.
At the 2005 Paris Air Show, Finncomm announced a $250 million contract for eight ATR-42-500 aircraft with options for a further eight. With the arrival of the ATR-42 in late November 2005, the airline could begin to retire the Saab fleet inherited from Golden Air.
In 2006, at the Farnborough Air Show, Finncomm signed a contract which converted four of their ATR-42 orders to the larger ATR-72-500. This was further supplemented by the purchase of an additional three ATR-72 aircraft at a list price of $54 million.
In January 2008 the carrier announced another order for a further five ATR-72-500 aircraft with deliveries between 2009 and 2011. Once all the orders have been fulfilled by ATR, Finncomm will become the largest operator of the ATR-500 series in Europe.
On 9 September 2010, Finnair Group announced that they have signed a preliminary agreement to acquire all the aircraft from Finnish Commuter Airlines Oy and 20% of Finncomm Airlines Oy for the total sum of €48 million. The schedule for completion of the purchase is yet unknown. Finncomm will however remain their own identity and continue operations normally in the Finnair Group.
On 1 July 2011, Finnair and Flybe
Flybe
Flybe Group PLC is a British low-cost regional airline headquartered at the Jack Walker House at Exeter International Airport in Devon, England...
announced they will jointly buy Finncomm for €25 million. The company will be renamed Flybe Nordic
Flybe Nordic
Flybe Nordic is an airline, jointly owned by Flybe and Finnair, and began operations on 30 October 2011.-History:The airline was announced on 1 July 2011, when Flybe and Finnair revealed plans to jointly purchase Finnish Commuter Airlines and rebrand the airline Flybe Nordic, with Flybe and...
. 60% of shares will be owned by Flybe while Finnair will own 40%.
Operations
Finncomm currently employs over 250 staff and in 2008 the carrier flew 870,000 passengers, an increase of 45% over the previous year despite a tough economic climate. The growth allowed an operating profit of over €9.4 million which was a 9.8% increase over 2007. The airline expects to carry over 1,000,000 passengers in 2009.Finncomm co-operates with Finnair
Finnair
Finnair Plc is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, with its headquarters on the grounds of Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, Finland, and its main hub at Helsinki Airport. Finnair and its subsidiaries dominate both the domestic and international air travel markets in Finland. The largest...
to provide feeder traffic for their international route network.
The Finnish Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA) ordered some changes to Finncomm's operating procedures and temporarily increased their weather minimums in ATR operations following an incident in late 2006. The incident is currently under investigation and some re-training was ordered by FCAA for pilots regarding new operating procedures. Weather restrictions are no longer in effect and normal operations have resumed.
Destinations
Finncomm Airlines operates the following services (as of June 2011):- Estonia
- TallinnTallinnTallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
- Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport
- Tallinn
- Finland
- EnontekiöEnontekiöEnontekiö is a municipality in the Finnish part of Lapland with approx. inhabitants. It is situated in the outermost northwest of the country and occupies a large and very sparsely populated area of about between the Swedish and Norwegian border...
- Enontekiö AirportEnontekiö AirportEnontekiö Airport is an airport located in Enontekiö, Finland, west southwest of Hetta, the municipal centre of Enontekiö.It is mainly used by charter flights, whose passengers account for 95% of the airport's passenger volume. Regular flights to Enontekiö are established only in the spring...
[seasonal] - HelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
- Helsinki AirportHelsinki AirportHelsinki Airport or Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is the main international airport of the Helsinki metropolitan region and the whole of Finland. It is located in Vantaa, Finland, about west of Tikkurila, the centre of Vantaa, and north of Helsinki city centre...
base - JoensuuJoensuuJoensuu is a city and municipality in North Karelia in eastern Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of North Karelia region. It was founded in 1848...
- Joensuu AirportJoensuu AirportJoensuu Airport is an airport in Liperi, Finland, about northwest of Joensuu city centre.-Airlines and destinations:-Statistics:-Weather station:... - JyväskyläJyväskyläJyväskylä is the capital of Central Finland and the largest city on the Finnish Lakeland, north-east of Tampere and north of Helsinki, on northern coast of lake Päijänne. The city has been continuously one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland since World War II. The city is surrounded...
- Jyväskylä AirportJyväskylä AirportOn August 2, 2010, Finncomm Airlines announced it will stop its service between Helsinki and Jyväskylä on August 16, 2010. However the break was very short as Finnair and Finncomm reached an agreement on September 2010 that Finncomm will take over several Finnair's domestic routes... - KajaaniKajaaniKajaani is a town and municipality in Finland.It is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi , which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki . There are inhabitants and city surface area is of which is water. The population density is . The town is...
- Kajaani AirportKajaani AirportKajaani Airport is an airport in Paltaniemi, Kajaani, Finland, approximately northwest of Kajaani city centre.-Airlines and destinations:-Statistics:-External links:* *... - KemiKemiKemi is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio. It was founded in 1869 by royal decree, because of its proximity to a deep water harbour....
/TornioTornioTornio is a town and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. The population density is , with a total population of . It borders to the Swedish municipality of Haparanda...
- Kemi-Tornio AirportKemi-Tornio AirportKemi-Tornio Airport is an airport in Kemi, Finland. The airport is located near the district of Lautiosaari, east of the Kemijoki , north of Kemi city centre and east of Tornio city centre.The airport is owned and operated by Finavia.... - KittiläKittiläKittilä is a municipality of Finland and a popular holiday resort.It is located in the province of Lapland, Finland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
- Kittilä AirportKittilä AirportKittilä Airport is a general aviation and commercial airport located in Kittilä, Finland, inside the Arctic Circle. It is one of the main airports in Northern Finland and carried circa 215,000 passengers in 2010.-Airlines and destinations:-Fire:...
[seasonal] - KokkolaKokkolaKokkola is a town and municipality of Finland.The town is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Central Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
/Pietarsaari - Kruunupyy Airport - KuopioKuopioKuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
- Kuopio AirportKuopio AirportKuopio Airport is an airport in Siilinjärvi, Finland, about north of Kuopio city centre.It is currently the seventh busiest airport in Finland , as measured by the number of passengers... - KuusamoKuusamoKuusamo is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in the Oulu province and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
- Kuusamo AirportKuusamo Airport-Statistics:- External links :* *...
[seasonal] - OuluOuluOulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
- Oulu AirportOulu AirportOulu Airport is located in the municipality of Oulunsalo, Finland, south-west of Oulu city centre. The airport is the second busiest in Finland after Helsinki-Vantaa airport, as measured by the number of passengers and the amount of freight transported. There are around twenty daily flights to... - PoriPoriPori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region....
- Pori AirportPori AirportPori Airport is an airport in Pori, Finland. The airport is located south of the Pori town centre. It has two check-in desks, and a cafeteria service.During 2010 Pori Airport served 43,185 passengers, a decrease of 30.5% from previous year.- Facilities :... - SavonlinnaSavonlinnaSavonlinna is a town and a municipality of inhabitants in the southeast of Finland, in the heart of the Saimaa lake region. The Finnish name of the town means "Castle of Savonia" and the Swedish name means "Newcastle".- History :...
- Savonlinna AirportSavonlinna Airport-Statistics:-External links:* *... - SeinäjokiSeinäjokiSeinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960...
- Seinäjoki AirportSeinäjoki AirportSeinäjoki Airport is an airport in Ilmajoki, Finland, about south-southwest of Seinäjoki city centre. The airport is operated by Rengonharju-säätiö .-Facilities:... - TampereTampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
- Tampere-Pirkkala AirportTampere-Pirkkala AirportTampere-Pirkkala Airport is located in Pirkkala, south-west of Tampere city centre. The airport is the third busiest airport in Finland, as measured by the number of passengers , and the second busiest airport in Finland, as measured by the number of international passengers... - TurkuTurkuTurku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
- Turku AirportTurku AirportTurku Airport , is located in Turku, Finland, north of Turku city centre. It serves approximately 350,000 passengers per year, being the fourth busiest airport in Finland. Turku Airport is operated by a stated-owned company Finavia exclusively. The airport has a secondary passenger terminal... - VaasaVaasaVaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa...
- Vaasa AirportVaasa AirportVaasa Airport is located in Vaasa, Finland, about south-east of Vaasa city centre. It is the 6th biggest airport in Finland in terms of passengers. In 2010, about 288,000 passengers traveled via the airport. In 2005, and again in 2008, Vaasa Airport was chosen as the Airport of the Year in... - VarkausVarkausVarkaus is a Middle-Savonian industrial town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .The municipality is...
- Varkaus AirportVarkaus AirportVarkaus Airport is an airport in Joroinen, Finland, about south of Varkaus.-Airlines and destinations:-Statistics:-External links:* – Official website*...
- Enontekiö
- Germany
- StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
- Stuttgart AirportStuttgart AirportStuttgart Airport is an international airport located approximately south of Stuttgart, Germany....
- Stuttgart
- Latvia
- RigaRigaRiga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
- Riga Airport
- Riga
- Poland
- GdańskGdanskGdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
- Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport
- Gdańsk
- Romania
- BucharestBucharestBucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
- Henri Coandă International AirportHenri Coanda International AirportHenri Coandă International Airport is Romania's busiest international airport, located northwest of the city of Bucharest, within Otopeni city limits. One of two airports serving the Romanian capital, the other being Băneasa, it is named after Romanian flight pioneer Henri Coandă, builder of...
- Bucharest
- Sweden
- NorrköpingNorrköpingNorrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
- Norrköping AirportNorrköping AirportCharter flights from the list above are available to book on following tour operators: , , , , , .-External links:* Norrköping airport homepage... - SkellefteåSkellefteå-Industry:*Boliden AB, a big mining and smelting company*Alimak*Natural User Interface Technologies AB - NUITEQ, a promising emerging technology start-up company-Sports:*Skellefteå AIK, an ice hockey team in the highest Swedish league, Elitserien....
- Skellefteå AirportSkellefteå Airport-External links:*...
- Norrköping
Fleet
The Finncomm Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft (as of 13 May 2011):| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42-500 | 4 | 0 | 48 |
| ATR 72-500 | 10 | 3 | 68–72 |
| Embraer E170 | 2 | 0 | 76 |
| Total | 16 | 2 |
Finncomm have announced plans to possess 16 ATR-500 series aircraft by the end of 2011, suggesting they plan to convert at least 3 of their options into firm orders.