Finnish flag carrier Finnair cancelled 14 flights on Monday and another 17 Tuesday morning over a ground handling workers' walkout.

Finnair said the walkout had inconvenienced about 1,400 passengers, with most booked on alternative flights.

The industrial action, declared unlawful by the struggling government-controlled carrier, was expected to delay airmail by up to 24 hours.

The Finnish Aviation Union (IAU) started the walkout at 3pm Monday after Finnair announced it would outsource Helsinki-Vantaa airport's ground handling operations to Barona, a temp agency.

The union added in a statement Monday that the walkout was scheduled to end at 10am on Tuesday.

Juhani Haapasaari, the chairman of the IAU, said that about 550 workers would carry on with the stoppage, with about 400 returning to work.

He added the union wanted Finnair to clarify the workers’ employment terms by midday.

STT