Flying with Pride – how Finnair celebrates all colours of the rainbow

Who we love or which gender we identify with are big building blocks of each of our lives. Imagine having to hide such important parts of yourself at work or feeling uncomfortable sharing them with your colleagues? 

Your workplace should be a safe space where you can flourish exactly as you are, which is why we are committed to promoting an organisation culture that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) . 

“According to our employee engagement survey, one of our strengths is that everyone can be themselves,” says Sini Kivekäs, Finnair’s Chief People Officer. “This year, we have renewed our values, which also guide our approach to diversity. Our Stronger together value means that by valuing and respecting one another, we grow stronger as a team and create a workplace where everyone truly belongs.”

To put words into action also outside our organisation, we are one of Helsinki Pride's Support partners in 2026. Helsinki Pride is Finland's largest human rights and culture event, which brings people together and makes room for all shades of the rainbow. 

“We are a proud supporter of Helsinki Pride, as their work is truly important for so many. Our participation in Helsinki Pride and raising awareness of the importance of DEI supports us as we continue our work in building an inclusive workplace,” Sini says.

Building an inclusive working environment 

Within Finnair we continue raising awareness and implement initiatives to support inclusion. We have an internal DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) employee group made up of volunteers from across the company. The group identifies development needs in our DEI work and makes concrete, focused recommendations for new actions and practices. Finnair employs around 5,800 people representing over 60 nationalities and languages.

Previously we have introduced our gender-neutral language guidelines and launched a training on DEI matters to all of our employees. We have also further developed our recruitment guidelines to support DEI and avoid unconscious bias in people selection.

“At Finnair, we see diversity as a truly multi-dimensional topic – shaped by many perspectives, experiences and ways of being. As One Crew, it’s important that everyone feels seen, respected and valued for who they are. Supporting Pride and LGBTQ+ community is an important and meaningful part of this. At the same time, we recognise that diversity is a broader topic, and we want to approach it with openness and curiosity across all its aspects”, Sini says.

We also want our customers to feel welcome on our flights and when using our services. For a long time, our pilots and pursers have been greeting our passengers with a simple hello instead of referring to ladies and gentlemen. But building an inclusive customer experience also extends to our website and booking service, which we aim to develop to be more inclusive and gender neutral. For example, it is currently not possible to choose other than male or female as gender option when booking a flight on our website, but our aim is to change this. 

Building an inclusive working environment and customer experience is a journey that we are travelling bit by bit and learning along the way. If you have an idea on how Finnair could pay more attention to all the colors of the rainbow, feel free to share your suggestions, for instance, through our social media channels.

Q&A

Why is Finnair a partner of Helsinki Pride? Finnair supports Helsinki Pride because we value the diversity of our customers and our own team. We believe that bringing together people with different backgrounds and experiences improves our decision-making and our business. Taking part in Helsinki Pride and raising awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion helps us build a more inclusive workplace.

What kind of partnership does Finnair have with Helsinki Pride? Finnair Group is one of Helsinki Pride's Support partners in 2026. We are not taking part in the parade as a company this year, but our employees are welcome to join voluntarily.

What is Finnair doing to promote equality and inclusion at work? We have an internal DEI employee group that identifies development needs and recommends concrete actions. We have published gender-neutral language guidelines, made DEI training available to everyone, and updated our recruitment guidelines for managers to support inclusion and reduce unconscious bias. This year we are also widening our focus to other forms of diversity, such as neurodiversity and cultural diversity.

When I book a flight, why can I only choose male or female as my gender? We want you to feel welcome on our flights and when using our services. For a long time, our pilots and pursers have greeted passengers with a simple hello rather than "ladies and gentlemen". Building an inclusive booking service is more complex than it may seem: alongside technical changes, we also need to meet the regulatory requirements of different countries. Building an inclusive customer experience is a journey that we travel bit by bit and learn along the way.

How is gender considered in Finnair's uniforms? The Finnair crew uniform includes a skirt or trousers. A single unisex uniform would not be the most practical choice, as our crew have different body shapes and we want the uniform to fit everyone comfortably. All crew members, regardless of gender, can wear nail polish and light make-up and have long hair.