Finnair has decided to acquire a fifth MD-11 aircraft for its long-haul fleet. The aircraft is to join the Finnair fleet in the first half of 2003.
As of June next year, the additional capacity brought by the new aircraft will be used to increase frequencies to Japan and Finnair`s other Far East destinations. Passenger numbers on Finnair`s Asian routes increased by 17 percent last year and 40 percent in the first half of this year.
Currently Finnair has two weekly flights to Tokyo. At the beginning of September, the number of weekly services to Beijing will be increased from four to five. Finnair`s other Asian destinations include Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. The New York route will be operated six times a week in the winter season, but starting June 2003 frequencies will be increased by one to the current daily flights. Supply will continue to be cut back and newly allocated in European and domestic traffic with the goal of improving capacity load factors.

Finnair was the first airline in the world to operate an MD-11 aircraft when manufacturing of the aircraft type began in 1990. Finnair also has in its use the first MD-11 simulator for pilot training.
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