The Chair of Finnair's Board of Directors, Klaus Heinemann, has called on the Finnish government to change legislation which obliges the state to hold a majority stake in the airline.

Speaking at the Annual General Meeting 2017, Heinemann said that changing Finnair's ownership structure could help mitigate risks of marginalization.

The comments echo those made last week by Chief Executive Pekka Vauramo. Speaking with The Financial Times, Vauramo said that changing the rules would help Finnair (AY, Helsinki Vantaa) to prepare for consolidation amongst European airlines.

"If it starts to happen, there's no time for political debate on whether we should do it," Vauramo said.

Vauramo also criticised the Oneworld alliance, saying it hasn't done enough to recruit members in China and India. Finnair has been working solidly on strengthening its position in Asia, and feels the lack of partners in the area keenly.

"In the long run, we do need a partner in China if we want to continue to grow that business — and we want to continue to grow that business. We're at a disadvantage because we don't have that," Vauramo said.