By Connor Sadler
Finnair Bossts Schedule as Travel Demand Grows
Finnair has announced it will add frequencies and destinations to its network this winter in response to rising travel demand.
The news follows the airline’s growth of both passenger and cargo traffic in August. In August, passenger levels grew by 24.5% compared to the previous month and 38.1% versus 2020.
The oneworld carrier has said it is continuing to serve key destinations in Asia. The airline currently has daily flights to Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok alongside many weekly services to Singapore and Hong Kong.
Finnair’s Osaka service will resume in October. Furthermore, its Japanese portfolio will expand in February with a new route from Helsinki to Nagoya.
The airline will also begin to serve Dubai with a widebody aircraft. Finnair has previously used Boeing 757s and, more recently, Airbus A321s to operate the service.
Finnair will also begin new services from Stockholm to Phuket and Bangkok, as previously reported. These services will start in late October and use Airbus A350s aircraft.
The airline currently operates daily flights to New York from its hub in Helsinki. In addition, it serves Los Angeles and Miami three times a week.
Finnair will grow its North American services in anticipation of the winter schedule. The strengthening includes making its Chicago service year-round rather than only serving the city in the summer.
The airline’s new Stockholm hub will also receive a route to Miami, again served by the A350 starting in October.
Finnair’s European network will increase throughout the winter. Amsterdam, Munich, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Frankfurt are among the cities Finnair will serve twice a day. Moreover, the airline will connect Helsinki with London and Paris three times a day.
Finnair is also increasing frequencies to St. Petersburg to support traffic flows to its North American destinations.
The airline is also introducing Krakow and Gdansk in Poland for the winter season. In addition, it is adding services to Spanish holiday destinations such as Malaga, the Canary Islands, Madrid and Barcelona.
Finnair reports that winter travelers continue to be attracted to the Finnish Lapland. As such, it will offer four daily connections to Rovaniemi, Ivalo and Kittilä from Helsinki. Furthermore, there will be two daily services to Kuusamo.
In an airline press release, Finnair’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ole Orvér, said, “We are excited to be able to expand the breadth and depth of our network, enabling better connections for customers as travel continues to pick up.”
“We are also re-introducing services to support a smooth and convenient travel experience. We opened our Schengen lounge already in August, and Finnair’s Non-Schengen Lounge at Helsinki airport will open in early October,” Orvér commented.
“Our customers can enjoy our newly refreshed onboard food and drink service where we combine Nordic flavours with tastes borrowed from our friends abroad,” continued Orvér.
Connor has been in love with flying since the first time he boarded a plane when he was 5 years old. He loves all things aviation, and he hopes to make that his full time career in the future.
