Tag Archives: Helsinki

Finnair to add three new routes to Russia this summer, celebrates 90 years of flying

Finnair (Helsinki) is expanding eastward into Russia this summer with three new routes to Kazan (August 18), Nizhniy Novgorod (July 25) and Samara (August 7). The new routes will be operates three days a week with Embraer 190s by Flybe Finland.

The airline issued this statement:

This summer we’ll start operating direct scheduled flights to Nizhny Novgorod, Samara and Kazan in Russia.

Flights to Nizhny Novgorod (airport code GOJ) begins on July 25, while flights to Samara (KUF) start on August 7 and to Kazan (KZN) on August 18. The flights will be operated by Flybe Finland three times a week with Embraer E190 aircraft.

On June 2, Finnair celebrated 90 years of the first flight between Helsinki and Stockholm. Finnair, former Aero OY, operated the flight on June 2, 1924. The flight was an adventure and the two and a half hour trip took in total 21 hours. Today, after 90 years of the first service, Finnair has up to 8 daily flights between Helsinki and Stockholm. The poster is from 1925 (see below).

Top Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 190-100LR OH-LKP (msn 19000416) taxies at Sockholm (Arlanda).

Finnair:

1925 Poster (Finnair):

Finnair to offer full-flat seats for nine long-haul routes

Finnair’s (Helsinki) flights to Tokyo and New York will feature aircraft equipped with full-flat seats available in Business Class. Additionally, Finnair will offer full-flat seats on flights to Beijing beginning on May 1, 2014 and as of June 1, 2014 the full-flat allocation also extends to Hanoi, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka and Shanghai. The new seats are a result of Finnair’s 29 million-euro program to retrofit most of its wide-body fleet of Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft.

The Zodiac Seats UK Vantage model seats, which are already in use on Finnair’s four newest Airbus A330s, are designed to provide a fully-flat bed measuring 79 inches in length and 23 inches in width. The fully adjustable seats also come with an individual reading light, adjustable head rest, mood lights and a range of inflight entertainment options.

After the full-flat retrofit program is complete, all of Finnair’s long-haul Airbus fleet will have full-flat seats in Business Class with the exception of three older aircraft. Due to maintenance or other technical reasons, designated full-flat routes may still be served by these other aircraft, which feature angled lie-flat seating in Business Class. These three aircraft will be the first to be removed from the fleet as next-generation Airbus A350 XWBs begin arriving in 2015.

Finnair currently operates 15 Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft in its wide-body fleet, serving a network of 15 long-haul destinations in Asia and North America. A further 11 Airbus A350 XWBs (with an option for 8 more) are due to arrive beginning in H2 2015, which will help the airline double its revenue from Asian destinations by 2020. Finnair will be the first European airline to fly with the state of the art A350.

Top Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-302X OH-LTO (msn 1013) arrives back at the Helsinki (HEL) hub.

Finnair:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Finnair.

Finnair is coming back to Miami next winter

Finnair (Helsinki) will begin operating nonstop scheduled flights between Helsinki and Miami, Florida once again. The new seasonal flight, operating from December 16, 2014 until March 21, 2015, will feature Airbus A340-300 aircraft in a two-class Business and Economy cabin configuration.

Flight AY 7 will leave Helsinki (HEL) on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:55 am (0955) for arrival in Miami (MIA) at 2:05 pm (1405). AY 8 departs Miami at 4:00 pm (1600). for arrival in Helsinki at 8:50 am (0850). the next day. The flight lasts approximately 11 hours outbound (HEL-MIA) while the return journey takes less than 10 hours (MIA-HEL). Starting from January 3, 2015, the service moves to three times weekly with an additional frequency on Saturdays.

The route between Helsinki and Miami International Airport will be included in the joint business on transatlantic traffic with oneworld alliance partners American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia. This gives customers the possibility to mix and match flights on the different carriers for the best pricing and scheduling options. For example, an itinerary could include a nonstop flight to Miami in one direction, but a connecting flight through New York, Madrid or London in the other, if the timing is more convenient. Finnair’s cooperation with the three other carriers also means that Miami is yet another gateway to dozens more North American destinations.

Finnair previously served Miami with seasonal flights utilizing Boeing 757-200s, McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s and MD-11s.

Finnair:

Finnair to operate a fifth daily flight to London Heathrow

Finnair (Helsinki) is increasing the number of flights it operates to London Heathrow from Helsinki from four to five times daily. Effective March 30, 2014, flight AY 995 departs Helsinki at 4:25 P.M. (1625) for arrival in London three hours later at 5:30 P.M. (1730), while AY 996 departs London at 7:35 P.M. (1935) and arrives in Helsinki at 12:30 A.M. (0030). The new frequency will be flown primarily with Finnair’s new Airbus A321 aircraft, which are equipped with fuel-efficient Sharklet wingtip devices and operate within Heathrow’s strictest noise parameters.

In addition to its own five daily frequencies, Finnair offers two daily codeshare roundtrips operated by fellow oneworld partner British Airways.

Copyright Photo: Gerd Beilfuss/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A321-231 D-AZAO with Sharklets became OH-LZG (msn 5758) on September 5, 2013.

Finnair:

Finnair to install Zodiac fully-flat seats on its long range aircraft

Finnair (Helsinki) has announced it will install new fully flat seats in most of its existing long haul aircraft starting in January. Once the installation program is completed by fall 2014, all of Finnair’s long haul Airbus fleet will have full flat seats in Business Class, with the exception of three older aircraft. These three aircraft will be the first to be removed from the fleet with the arrival of A350 XWBs in 2015. The total investment, including replacement investments, is approximately 29 million euros or approximately 39 million dollars.

The Zodiac Seats UK Vantage model seats selected by Finnair are already in use on the airline’s four newest Airbus A330s. The seats are designed to provide a fully-flat bed measuring up to 79 inches (200 cm), while shoulder room measures 23 inches (58 cm).The fully adjustable seats also come with an individual reading light, adjustable head rest, mood lights and a range of inflight entertainment options.

DIMENSIONS

Contour Vantage A330/A340

Seat width between armrest: 20.07 inches

Seat width at shoulder level: 22.83 inches

Bed length: 79.17 inches

Bed width at head level: 20 inches

Bed width at shoulder level: 20 inches

Bed width at hip level: 20 inches

Bed width at foot level: 10.98 inches

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A340-313E OH-LQE (msn 938) in the Oneworld design arrives at the Helsinki (HEL) hub.

Finnair:

Finnair to upgrade the Toronto route next summer

Finnair (Helsinki) will operate its seasonal service to Toronto (Pearson), with upgraded two-class Airbus A330 wide body aircraft. Schedules will be timed to match speedy connections throughout Finnair’s network, particularly in the Nordic-Baltic region, Eastern Europe and Russia.

Toronto service will operate from June 1 to September 21, 2014, on Tuesdays, Friday and Sundays and will last approximately eight and a half hours. Flights depart Toronto (Pearson) at 2235 (1035 pm) and arrive in Helsinki the next day at 1345 (1:45 pm) local time. Return flights depart Helsinki at 1700 (5 pm) and arrive in Toronto (Pearson) at 1845 (6:45 pm) local time.

The Airbus A330 aircraft,with 229 seats in Economy Class and 42 in Business Class, replace narrow body single-class Boeing 757-200s previously in use on the route. Currently four of Finnair’s eight A330s feature seats in Business Class that convert to fully-flat beds, with more scheduled for retrofit during 2014. All A330 aircraft feature a renewed, complimentary inflight entertainment experience in both cabin classes, including 72 movies and more than 150 television shows on demand.

The Toronto-Helsinki route will also be included in the joint business between Finnair and fellow oneworld partners American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia on traffic between the EU and North America, meaning that all four carriers will code share the route with identical fares and conditions on North America-EU itineraries. The joint business makes Toronto yet another gateway for seamless, cost-efficient one-stop trips between Helsinki and dozens of cities in Canada and the United States.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-302X OH-LTS (msn 1078) arrives at the Helsinki (HEL) hub.Finnair:

A behind the scenes view of Finnair’s growing Helsinki hub

Finnair‘s (Helsinki) growing hub at Helsinki (HEL) is expanding due to an ever-growing number of international connecting passengers as the airline adds more routes to Asia. The airport is located in an ideal geographical location for these connecting flights. The Finnair Blog (and video) takes us behind the scenes at HEL. HEL is a pretty nice place to connect according to Finnair.

The airline is adding Tel Aviv and Hanoi in June.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Finnair:

Video:

Finnair to enter the American-British-Iberia trans-Atlantic joint venture

Finnair (Helsinki) has announced it will join the trans-Atlantic joint venture established by American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia in October 2010.

Finnair will add its AY code to select American, British and Iberia flights between North America and Europe (EU, plus Norway and Switzerland). American (AA), British (BA) and Iberia (IB) codes on Finnair’s daily flights between New York and Helsinki.

All together, the JV will operate up to 102 daily roundtrips between North American and Europe serving 42 gateways on either side of the Atlantic.

Finnair:

Video:

Finnair produces its first yearly profit since 2007

Finnair (Helsinki) reported a net profit of €1.2 million ($1.6 million) in the fourth quarter of 2012. The carrier produced its first yearly profit since 2007. The flag carrier reported a net profit for 2012 of €11.8 million ($15.9 million) for 2012. CEO Mika Vehvilainen, who is leaving the company, should be credited with the turnaround. The Asian strategy has worked well for the carrier.

The next CEO will need to find new airline partners to sustain profitability.

Read the full report by Reuters: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems. Arriving from Asia, Airbus A340-313X OH-LQF (msn 168) taxies to the gate at its HEL hub and European gateway.

Finnair:

Finnair Cargo to open a new Brussels base with new routes to New York JFK and Chicago O’Hare

Finnair (Helsinki) is expanding its cargo network. Finnair is opening a new Brussels base with routes radiating back to Helsinki as well as to New York (JFK) and Chicago (O’Hare) starting in March. UBM Aviation Routes Limited has issued this statement:

Finnair Cargo has successfully used Route Exchange, the online platform for air service development, to open a new Brussels base. In March 2013 Finnair Cargo will initiate weekly flights via its new Brussels hub, connecting the Belgian capital with Finnair’s Helsinki hub as well as New York JFK and new destination Chicago O’Hare. The network expansion follows a partnership during the latter months of 2012 with Routes’ Route Exchange business, part of Routesonline, where Finnair Cargo completed an extensive airport evaluation process to open the new Continental European destination.

This partnership has led directly to the placing of the carrier’s McDonnell Douglas MD-11F aircraft at Brussels Airport.

Read the full statement: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems. The venerable McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter will continue to serve the company. The pictured MD-11 OH-LGC (msn 48512) was converted to a freighter for Finnair Cargo but was transferred to Nordic Global Airlines in September 2011. OH-LGC now longer wears these pictured markings. Nordic Global is partially owned by the Finnair Group and operates four MD-11Fs for Finnair Cargo and is likely to operate from the new Brussels base.

Finnair: