Tag Archives: Helsinki

The sale of Flybe Nordic’s 60% share formerly held by Flybe is approved

Finnair (Helsinki) has announced the sale of Flybe’s (Exeter) 60% share in Flybe Nordic has been approved. The airline issued this statement:

The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority has approved the transaction in which Flybe UK Ltd’s 60% ownership of Flybe Nordic venture will be transferred to StaffPoint Holding Ltd and G.W. Sohlberg Ltd (GWS) . The letter of intent on this transaction was announced on January 7, 2015. Upon completion of the sale, StaffPoint’s ownership in the joint venture will be 45%, GWS’s 15% and Finnair’s 40%. The transaction is expected to be closed in early February 2015.

Flybe Nordic owns fully the Finnish subsidiary Flybe Finland, which is in charge of Finnair’s regional airline operations. Flybe Finland currently operates to a number of domestic and European destinations from Helsinki on behalf of Finnair on a contract-flying basis. In addition, Flybe Finland operates to five domestic destinations as well as Tartu, Estonia and Norrköping, Sweden at its own commercial risk.

Will the Flybe Finland brand now be changed to a new name? Flybe Finland was formerly FinnComm Airlines.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Flybe Finland’s ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-500) OH-ATG (msn 757) sits on the ramp at the Helsinki (HEL) base.

Video: A time lapse full flight window view of a flight from Edinburgh to Birmingham, onboard Flybe Embraer ERJ 175 G-FBJE, operating flight BE 852 on October 31, 2014.

Primera Air continues to expand from Scandinavia and Iceland

Primera Air (Scandinavia) (Copenhagen) is opening up new routes for the current winter season. On October 26, the company launched weekly service from Gothenburg and Malmo to Dubai (Al Maktoum), Helsinki to Fuerteventura and Las Palmas and from Malmo to Tenerife Sur.

Furthermore, late this month, the airline will start four new weekly routes; Aalborg-Las Palmas (December 19), Copenhagen-Billund-Lanzarote (December 19), Aarhus-Tenerife Sur (December 20) and Aalborg-Fuerteventura (December 22) per Airline Route.

In other related news, Primera Air (Iceland) (Keflavik) launched a new route to New York (JFK) on November 16 after acquiring rights to serve the United States.

Primera Air (Scandinavia) aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-2/Airlines-Europe-2/Primera-Air-Scandinavia

Finnair to get out of the dedicated freighter business

Finnair (Helsinki) is getting out of the dedicated freighter business by the end of this month according to ch-aviation. The Finnish carrier will depend on belly cargo in the future using its own passenger aircraft. Currently its dedicated freighter operation is provided by partial owned (40%) Nordic Global Airlines (NGA) which operates four McDonnell Douglas MD-11F freighters mainly for Finnair. It is unclear if NGA will continue to operate its ACMI operations after Finnair stops all dedicated freighter operations.

Nordic Global describes its operations:

Nordic Global Airlines Ltd (NGA) is a Finnish all cargo carrier based in Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, Finland. NGA focuses on ACMI and Cargo Charters worldwide and operates under EASA AOC.

NGA has a highly dedicated and experienced team to manage the operations. As a young and dynamic company we are able to deliver the right ACMI and Charter services to our customers.

At the beginning of 2014 NGA operates a fleet of four MD-11F freighters for long-term ACMI customers and on ad-hoc charter basis.

Since the commencement of the commercial operations in August 2011 NGA has performed more than 2,000 flights to our customers satisfaction.

Route Map for NGA:

Copyright Photo: Marco Finelli. Former Finnair McDonnell Douglas MD-11 (F) OH-LGC (msn 48512) wears only small Nordic Global Airlines titles at its Helsinki base.

Video: Skateboarding in HEL

No one equates skateboarding with secure airports, until now…

Video by Match Made in HEL:

For two days in October 2014 some of the best skateboarders from East and West were connected to share their passion on the top of the world at Helsinki Airport. This first-ever skate session was hosted by Arto Saari and his world-class crew. See the amazing footage of when these skaters got access to totally unique skate spots to test the limits of the gateway between East and West.

Finnair is coming to Chicago O’Hare for next summer

Finnair (Helsinki) will start flying to Chicago (O’Hare) next summer, from June 13 to October 17, 2015. Flights will be operated three times a week with Airbus A330 aircraft. Departures from Helsinki and Chicago are on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 17:25 and arrive in Chicago (ORD) at 18:40 local time. Return flights to Helsinki depart at 22:00 and arrive the following day at 14:50.

Finnair’s Chicago service is included in the joint business on trans-Atlantic traffic with fellow oneworld alliance partners British Airways, Iberia, American Airlines and American’s merger partner US Airways. Chicago is a hub for American, which allows Finnair’s customers quick codeshare connections to destinations throughout the United States, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The joint business between the cooperating airlines also gives customers the possibility to mix and match flights on different carriers for the best pricing and scheduling. For example, an itinerary could include a nonstop flight to Chicago in one direction, but a return flight connecting through another transatlantic hub if the timing is more convenient.

Due to opening the Chicago route, Finnair’s seasonal summer service to Hanoi will be discontinued. Finnair’s previously announced new summer destinations in 2015 include Athens, Dublin, Malta and Split.

Finnair aircraft slide show:

Finnair to offer air-to-rail connection between Helsinki and St. Petersburg with VR trains

Finnair (Helsinki) and Finnish railway operator VR are cooperating to offer combined air-and-rail tickets between St. Petersburg, Russia and international destinations connecting via the Helsinki hub.

Combined air-and-rail tickets will enable passengers flying throughout Finnair’s network in Europe, Asia and North America to connect to and from St. Petersburg on a high-speed Allegro train. Finnair began selling the combined tickets on October 1, 2014, and the first Allegro train (below) connection with AY code will be on December 1, 2014.

The train ride between Helsinki’s Central Railway Station and St. Petersburg’s Finland Station takes 3 hours and 36 minutes. Passport and customs procedures are carried out on board the train while en route, saving customers’ time and allowing for a smooth passenger experience. The ticket also allows stopovers in Helsinki, enabling customers with business in both cities to make a single booking while also giving leisure travellers the opportunity to take time to explore the Finnish capital region.

In other news, Finnair has released this statement:

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) has awarded Finnair a position on The A List: The CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index 2014, for actions to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the business risks of climate change.

The index presents 187 listed companies identified as demonstrating a superior approach to climate change mitigation. The A List is compiled by CDP, an NGO that provides the only global environmental reporting system at the request of 767 investors who represent some $92 trillion (US) in assets, or more than a third of the world’s invested capital.

Information provided by nearly 2,000 listed companies has been independently assessed against CDP’s widely-respected scoring methodology and ranked accordingly. Finnair is the only airline awarded an A grade for its climate performance, earning a position on this global ranking of corporate efforts to mitigate climate change.

“Aviation is an extremely energy- and capital-intensive sector, and our advanced capacity to measure and disclose information relating to this intensity allows us and our shareholders not only to understand Finnair’s climate impact but take steps to actively mitigate it while also controlling costs,” says Finnair CEO Pekka Vauramo. “This recognition from CDP shows that we are determined to proactively meet a commercial and regulatory landscape that is rapidly being transformed by climate change.”

“Global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and we face steep financial risk if we do not mitigate them,” says CDP CEO Paul Simpson.

“The business case for action to mitigate climate change has never been stronger or more urgent. For this reason we congratulate those businesses that have achieved a position on The A List: The CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index. These companies are responding to market demand for environmental accountability and at the same time are making progress towards the realization of sustainable economies.”

Finnair is on track to reduce per-seat CO2 emissions by 24 percent between 2009 and 2017. The airline’s actions to reach this target and improve its environmental performance include:

Flying with a modern, fuel-efficient fleet. In 2013 Finnair was the global launch customer of Airbus A321 with fuel-saving Sharklets and next year will be the European launch customer of the next-generation A350XWB, which will be approximately 25 per cent more fuel-efficient (and less carbon intensive) than the previous generation of aircraft.

Strict “weight watching” of aircraft, including flying with ultra-light ULDs (unit load devices, or cargo containers) that save more than 2.5 million kg of CO2 emissions every year.

Continuous Descent Landings and other operational measures to limit fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Exploring the development (with partners in the value chain) of a biofuel hub at Helsinki Airport

In 2013, consolidating its offices and moving to a new LEED Platinum-certified head office near Helsinki Airport.

Top Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Finnair’s Embraer ERJ 190-100LR OH-LKI (msn 19000117) taxies at Geneva (all others by VR).

Finnair:

VR Train Route Map in Finland and extended routes to Russia:

Finnair Aircraft Slide Show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-2/Airlines-Europe-2/Finnair

Snowbird Airlines is coming to London Gatwick starting on December 6

Snowbird Airlines (Helsinki) starting on December 6 is planning to operate twice-weekly Airbus A320 service from Enontekiö to London (Gatwick) and return per Airline Route.

Enontekiö is located in northern Finland in Lapland and is an ideal viewing location for the winter northern lights.

According to Helsinki Times, the launch of the carrier has been delayed due to slumping Russian economy and a dispute with the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV).

The virtual charter airline was planning to start operations on October 2 with a wet leased SmartLynx Airlines Airbus A320 (YL-LCM).

Read the full story: CLICK HERE

Images: Snowbird Airlines.

Video:

Finnair operates an Airbus A330 biofuel flight from Helsinki to New York

Finnair (Helsinki) operated a flight from Helsinki to New York on September 23 with an Airbus A330 using environmentally sustainable biofuel, coinciding with the UN Climate Summit taking place in New York on the same day.

The airline issued this statement:

As a leader in the sustainable development of commercial aviation, the airline believes strongly in proactive measures to manage environmental performance.

Most of an airline’s environmental impact arises from aircraft emissions during flight, and switching to a more sustainable fuel source can reduce net CO2 emissions by between 50 and 80 per cent. The biofuel mixture powering the flight to New York, provided by SkyNRG Nordic – a joint venture between SkyNRG and Statoil Aviation – is partly manufactured from cooking oil recycled from restaurants, an example of a biofuel alternative to ordinary jet fuel that significantly reduces net greenhouse gas emissions while also being sustainable in its own right. Finnair and its partners insist on the cultivation of biofuel sources that neither compete with food production nor damage biodiversity.

Aviation biofuel is a proven and exhaustively tested technology – Finnair first flew with biofuel in 2011 – but at more than twice the price of conventionally produced jet fuel, it is not yet economically viable for any airline to operate with exclusively. This demonstration flight is made possible thanks in part to cooperation with Airbus and SkyNRG Nordic.

“The UN Climate Summit is an important gathering to fight climate change, and we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the climate benefits of more widespread adoption of environmentally sustainable biofuels in aviation,” says Finnair’s Vice President of Sustainable Development Kati Ihamäki. “Finnair is committed to working further with industry partners and government bodies alike to help develop the biofuel supply chain and bring down the cost of sustainable biofuel for everyday use.”

“As air traffic contributes 2 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions, it is very important to have this trial with the use of biofuels,” says Finland’s Minister for International Development Pekka Haavisto. “If the price of oil rises and biofuels become cheaper, there will hopefully be a day when we’ll be able to replace at least some of the fossil fuels with fuels made of renewable and waste material. I’m happy that Finnair is showing leadership in this development.”

“Finnair is a long-standing Airbus customer of almost 30 years and I am particularly proud to be collaborating with the airline for this commercial flight,” says Andrea Debbané, Airbus Vice President of Environmental Affairs. “Airbus and Finnair share the aviation industry’s ambitions to reach carbon neutral growth by combining the most modern and fuel-efficient aircraft with optimised Air Traffic Management and operational procedures, while also pushing for the commercial use of affordable sustainable jet fuels.”

“This flight is a warm up for a large offensive from our side with our partners Statoil Aviation, Neste Oil and many others to accelerate the local supply and production of sustainable and affordable jet fuel for the Nordic countries,” says SkyNRG CEO Dirk Kronemeijer. “With common effort – including crucial support from governments – and united purpose, we can realize a sustainable and long term future for aviation.”

Along with its partners Finnair is also currently investigating the possibility of establishing a biofuel hub at Helsinki Airport. Finnair is active as well in the Nordic Initiative for Sustainable Aviation, a group of airlines, airport operators, manufacturers and government ministries working to accelerate the development of sustainable biofuel for aviation in the Nordic countries.

Copyright Photo: Stephen Tornblom/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-302 OH-LTT (msn 1088) climbs away from the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Finnair:

Finnair to add new seasonal service to Athens, Dublin and Malta next summer

Finnair (Helsinki) will add seasonal services from Helsinki to Athens, Dublin and Malta next summer season, with schedules designed for optimal connections with Finnair’s network of Asian destinations. Service to Dublin begins on March 30, Malta on April 2 and Athens on April 5. Service to all three destinations lasts until late October.

Dublin (DUB) will be served six times a week, except Tuesdays, with 100-seat Embraer 190 aircraft operated on behalf of Finnair by Flybe Finland.

Flights to Malta International Airport (MLA) near the Maltese capital Valletta are operated two times a week — Mondays and Thursdays — with Airbus A321 Sharklet aircraft. Athens (ATH) is also served twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, with Airbus A319s or A320s.

In other news, Finnair is extending its network throughout the United Kingdom with new codeshare services from Manchester operated by partner airline Flybe. Effective September 15, the Finnair code will be added to Flybe services from Manchester (MAN) to 10 regional airports: Aberdeen (ABZ), Belfast City (BHD), Edinburgh (EDI), Exeter (EXT), Glasgow (GLA), Inverness (INV), Isle of Man (IOM), Jersey (JER), Newquay (NQY) and Southampton (SOU).

Separately, Finnair also cooperates with Flybe affiliate Flybe Finland, a joint venture between Finnair and Flybe established in 2011. Flybe Finland operates a mixture of contract-flights on behalf of Finnair as well as its own flights around Finland and the Nordic region from its base at Helsinki Airport.

Finnair:

Blue1 to cut four Boeing 717s and up to 160 jobs

Blue1 (SAS Finland) (Helsinki) will see its nine Boeing 717s reduced by four aircraft according to the CEO Mikael Wångdahl as reported by Taloussanomat. The subsidiary of SAS may also be forced to eliminate up to 160 jobs (one half of its workforce). The cuts are being driven by lower demand and the mounting financial losses of parent Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm). The cuts will start at the beginning of the winter season in November.

Copyright Photo: SM Fitzwilliams Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 717-2CM OH-BLI (msn 55061) prepares to depart from Dublin bound for Helsinki.

Blue1: