Finnair is to resume flying to Shanghai from Helsinki with a new weekly service from Wednesday, 23 July.
The Airbus A350-operated flight will take off following the green light given by the Chinese authorities for the Nordic carrier to restart flying between the two cities.
Finland has opened its borders for work-related travel from China but entry to Finland is still restricted for the time being pending an EU level decision on reciprocity.
The resumption of weekly flights is part of a phased re-introduction of Finnair services which will see the carrier operating 25% of its previously scheduled flights this summer, as routes and frequencies are gradually added. The airline will operate 70 per cent of services for the winter season.
Finnair now flies to over 30 destinations in July, operating between 80-90 flights per day, and offers smooth connections to 24 European destinations from Helsinki, including flights to Heathrow.
The carrier will also resume flights between Edinburgh and Helsinki on 1 August, with three flights a week. A twice-weekly service restarted from Manchester on 2 July, operating with an Embraer E190.
Ole Orvér, Finnair Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The re-opening of our Shanghai route is great news for our customers and an important step for us, as China continues to play a key role in Finnair’s strategy. We look forward to increasing our service to the Chinese market soonest.”
Andrew Fish, Finnair General Manager UK, Ireland & Benelux, said: “Finnair’s Shanghai services will play a big part in reconnecting Asia and the Far East with Europe. Customers from the UK and Ireland will now be able to fly to Helsinki and catch connecting flights into one of China’s most vibrant destinations.”
In response to customer demand, Finnair updates its flying schedule on a weekly basis and has the capability to add flights at a rapid pace, as travel restrictions are removed. Long-haul flights to Asia are also supported by increased cargo demand.
Finnair has introduced new measures to ensure the highest possible hygiene standards when flying with the airline, including a new ‘Clean Kit’ for all customers.
The special kit contains a hand sanitiser, surface wipes, and an information leaflet packaged within an envelope that acts as a waste container.
At airports, customers are recommended to wear a face mask and check-in online prior to arrival, with check-in desks equipped with protective plastic screens.
On board Finnair aircraft, the frequency of cleaning has been intensified, with a focus on high-touch surfaces. All cabin air, which is replaced every three minutes, passes through HEPA filters which filters more than 99.9% of particles, including bacteria and viruses.
Customers seated at the back board first with the reverse process for disembarking. The wearing of face masks is mandatory on board for all Finnair customers and cabin crew (except for children under the age of seven).
A streamlined onboard customer experience minimises person-to-person contact during the flight with a temporary suspension of the airline’s duty free and ‘buy on board’ sales options.
Finnair’s fares include all taxes and charges and can be booked through finnair.com. The carrier urges customers to check the local travel restrictions at their destinations before making bookings and travelling.
Finnair flights can be booked through local travel agents and via finnair.com.
