Finnair CEO Pekka Vauramo Photo: Courtesy of Finnair

 

Finnair's new A350 aircraft Photo: Courtesy of Finnair

A brand new Finnair A350 XWB aircraft successfully landed at the Beijing International Airport's Terminal 3 on January 7, becoming the airline's second A350 aircraft to land in China. Finnair became the first airline in the world to fly one of the newly released aircrafts to China on November 22, 2015, when its inaugural A350 flight from Helsinki landed in Shanghai to a crowd of supporters.

Finnair officially opened its first Helsinki-Beijing route in 1988, making Finnair the first Western airline to establish a non-stop route between Europe and China. Nearly 30 years later, Finnair has established itself as a major player in the China market, providing one of the most convenient routes between China and Europe. Finnair's choice of Beijing as the second destination for its new A350 planes is in line with the airline's strategy of boosting its traffic to China and Asia at large.

"The A350 is the future of flying, and we are extremely proud to be the first airline in the world to bring it to China, using both the Shanghai and Beijing routes," said Pekka Vauramo, Finnair's CEO. "We hope to bring a completely new and enhanced travel experience to our passengers and to realize our commitment to the market. Finnair has maintained a strong track record in regard to punctuality and safety. The A350 brings better fuel efficiency, added capacity and better competitiveness to Finnair."

The Finnair A350 offers a unique Nordic experience, revealed in details ranging from its ambient mood lighting, provided by LED lights that change according to the time of day, to its Nordic Sky entertainment system and Wi-Fi, which help keep passengers better connected and more entertained during their journeys. Meanwhile, the advanced air filtering system provides noticeably cleaner and fresher cabin air, while keeping the cabin pressure closer to sea level. Finally, it offers a quieter flight for greater passenger comfort.

"Beijing is a key destination for Finnair for both corporate and leisure travel, but it is also an important outpost for cargo," said Lars Olofsson, the Greater China sales director at Finnair. "This combination makes Beijing the perfect destination for our new A350. In addition to the new A350 routes to Shanghai and Beijing, the opening of our sixth destination in Greater China, Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, will also play a key role in our expansion in the Chinese market."

Finnair's new A350 aircrafts will also open routes to Hong Kong in the coming months.