Finnair seeks to operate Tartu-Helsinki route
Tartu City Government Press Release
/ The international procurement for the operation of the Tartu-Helsinki route, launched on 29 September, received one bid by the deadline. Air carrier Finnair wants to begin operating the route.
The exact content of the submitted bid is not public as the city is still in the process of assessing its eligibility. The value of the tender can be made public after it has been assessed whether the tender meets the terms and conditions, and negotiations have been held with the tenderer.
According to Mayor of Tartu Urmas Klaas, it is too early to say what the outcome of the tender will be, as acts related to the procurement process are still in their early stages. ‘We had hoped for the submission of more tenders, but the lack of tenderers is probably a reflection of the current difficult situation in the aviation market and the economy in general,’ Klaas added.
The city government will assess the conformity of the tender as soon as possible and then decide whether further negotiations with the tenderer are necessary.
The exact starting date of the flights will be known after the public contract is awarded.
The Tartu-Helsinki route is subject to a public service obligation for a period of four years (until the end of 2027), and during this period the route must be operated on the basis of a timetable that provides for 12 weekly flights from Tartu to Helsinki and back. The aircraft serving the flights must have at least 60 seats.
Following the termination of air services in 2022, the City of Tartu began analysing the possible legal conditions for organising and continuing to support flights from Tartu. It has become clear from consultations with various air carriers that no airline is currently prepared to operate international flights from Tartu under present market conditions. In this situation, in order to ensure the operation of international flight connections, it was possible to impose a public service obligation for the city on the most suitable international route, and to subsidise flying from Tartu from the City of Tartu’s budget. Helsinki Airport was selected as the most suitable destination on the basis of an economic study carried out beforehand.
Last changed 20.12.2023
