From Europe to Xi´an and Hanoi by Finair

Finnair, the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, will be the first airline to fly to Xi´an from Europe. Finnair will begin flying to Xi´an in summer 2013, further deepening the airline’s network of Asian destinations. The airline will begin offering the service to Xi´an from its hub in Helsinki with three frequencies per week starting 14 June until the end of the summer season on 26 October 2013. The first direct connection between Xi´an and Europe is Finnair’s latest step toward its goal of doubling Asian revenue by 2020.

“I’m very excited and pleased to announce Xi´an as our fifth destination in China,” says CEO Mika Vehviläinen. “The fast-growing Chinese economy continues to fuel rapid growth in demand for air travel to and from Europe, and to open up new opportunities for Finnair. We have a history of pioneering better connections between Europe and China going back to 1988, when we began flying to Beijing. We look forward to building on that history and offering the quickest and smoothest itineraries between dozens of European destinations and Xi´an.”

Located in central-northwest China, Xi´an is a metropolis of about 8 million people and a growing centre in the development of China’s aerospace and software industries. The city is also an ancient imperial capital and an historic cradle of Chinese civilisation. The world-famous Terracotta Army, the vast collection of burial sculptures found around the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, is located about 40 km to the east of the city centre.

Earlier this year, Finnair became the first airline to directly connect Europe with Chongqing, another fast-growing inland megacity. Elsewhere in China, Finnair also flies to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. A further eight destinations round out Finnair’s Asian network: Bangkok, Delhi, Hanoi, Nagoya, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo.

Finair will fly to Xi'an (China) and Hanoi (Vietnam) from Helsinki in 2013.

Finnair earlier announced a new summer connection to Hanoi from 15 June, also with three frequencies per week. Finnair will open flights to Hanoi Vietnam in summer 2013, continuing the airline’s strategic focus on traffic between Asia and Europe. Subject to regulatory approvals, Finnair will become the only European airline to offer a direct connection from Europe to the dynamic capital of Vietnam with a population of 6.5 million.

Finnair earlier announced a new summer connection to Hanoi from 15 June, also with three frequencies per week. Starting on June 14, Finnair will begin service to Hanoi from its hub in Helsinki with three frequencies per week. From Helsinki, Finnair offers connections to more than 60 European destinations. The Hanoi route will be operated during the summer schedule season, which lasts until Oct 27. Finnair is represented in Vietnam by its partner East Sea Travel & Air Service Group.

Finnair will operate to Hanoi with A330 aircraft. The flight time is 10 hrs 10 min from Helsinki to Hanoi and 10 hrs 55 minutes from Hanoi to Helsinki. Finnair does not add its capacity with this route, but will make small adjustments to summer schedules as we start operating the three weekly flights to Hanoi.