Finnair flights to Bangkok will be boosted during the winter season in response to high demand.Demand for Finnair’s flights between Europe and Asia have increased significantly. Flexible, non-stop connections with Finnair’s Asian flights have attracted even more corporate and private customers from the Nordic region countries as well as the rest of Europe. The airline’s new flights to Delhi and Mumbai have already gained noticeable interest.

In Finland’s western neighbour, Sweden, demand for Finnair’s Asian traffic has grown by as much as 55% compared with the previous year.

“There are over 200 flights a month from Helsinki to the various Asian destinations,” Finnair’s country manager Riku Helminen in Sweden pointed out. “This is appealing to customers from both Stockholm and Gothenburg. The stopover in Helsinki is easy and the airport has been voted as one of the best in Europe in many annual surveys. Many companies favour Finnair because we have a modern and environmentally friendly fleet and the shortest, fastest route to Asia through Helsinki.”

Finnair’s new destinations in India have already proved popular, and the latest destination, Mumbai, is expected to increase in popularity during the coming autumn and winter. At the same time, established Asian routes have maintained their appeal.

As of December 3, flights to Bangkok will operate twice daily as the peak season gets under way.

“Thailand’s guaranteed warm weather and swimming waters are attractive to tourists throughout the year, but demand peaks in the winter season,” said Petteri Kostermaa, who is responsible for Finnair’s route strategy and traffic planning.

In addition to the evening departures operated throughout the year, a new morning departure will be launched from Helsinki at the beginning of December, running until the end of March. The return flight returns from Bangkok at night, arriving in Helsinki in the early morning.

Finnair’s full list of Asian destinations currently reads as follows: Bangkok, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Delhi and Mumbai. Seoul in South Korea is to be added to the list in summer 2008.
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