Finnair's pilots agreed Tuesday to a state mediator's proposal to end a two-day strike that grounded most of the carrier's planes and left its customers stranded across the globe.

A spokesman said the firm expected to fly 60-70 flights on Wednesday, with full service due to resume Friday. Details of the mediator's proposal were not immediately available.

Finnair estimated the strike would cost it between EUR2.5 million - EUR5 million euros (USD$3.7 million - USD$7.5 million) per day, affecting all its traffic except leisure flights.

Finnair and the Finnish Airline Pilots' Association had tried to reach a deal for more than a year, with the talks coming to a head in recent weeks after Finnair started to outsource some routes.

Like other airlines, state-controlled Finnair has reduced capacity, cut jobs and launched a number of cost saving initiatives as the economic slowdown has reduced demand.

The struggling carrier, which expects a loss for 2009, has said it has a long way to go before it could be sustainably competitive.