[photopress:Finnair_MD_11_EFHK.jpg,full,alignright]Finnair is to acquire 12 new Airbus wide-bodied aircraft, as it modernises its long-haul fleet. Of the aircraft, nine are A350s and three are A340s. The history of the airline is interesting. It was started as Aero Ltd by consul Bruno Lucander in 1923 because Lucander had run the Finnish operations of the Estonian airline Aeronaut.
The first true Finnair flight was flown on March 20, 1924 from Helsinki to Taillinn in Estonia in a Junkers 713 aircraft equipped with floats. Aerodromes were being built in Finland and so the last seaplane service was operated in 1936. Note other airlines — BOAC (British Airways as it then was) and Qantas operated seaplanes for many years afterwards.
In 1946, after the horrors of the war, the Finnish government acquired a majority stake in the company and the airline was flying again in 1947 and adopted in 1953 the name of Finnair.
Now, it is flexing its wings yet again. Owing to strong growth in Asian traffic, the new Airbus A340 aircraft will be acquired in 2007-08. The Airbus A350 is yet another new type of aircraft and the first of them will join the Finnair fleet in 2011.
Finnair President and CEO Keijo Suila. said, ‘This is the biggest fleet modernisation in Finnair’s history. By 2009, our long-haul traffic fleet will consist of at least ten aircraft. The decision reflects our confidence and commitment to our Asian growth strategy. It will enable us to open new destinations as well as to increase flight frequencies to destinations where demand is greatest.’
Finnair has continuoiusly increased the number of its Asian flights since 1999 and now has more than 40 flights a week to Asian destinations. One quarter of the company’s scheduled passenger traffic revenue comes from Asian traffic.
Most recently, at the beginning of September, Finnair opened a route to Guangzhou in China, to which it flies three times a week. This will be boosted in May when a fourth weekly frequency to Guangzhou will be added.
Source: Newsdesk and research