China Southern Airlines has launched the first direct flight linking Beijing and Helsinki. The new route began operations from Beijing Daxing International Airport on 29 March.
The service will run three times a week between the Chinese and Finnish capitals. The airline plans to increase frequency from June 2026.
Passengers say the new route significantly reduces travel time. It also makes it easier to combine visits across the Nordic region, including Finland, Denmark and Norway.
According to China Southern Airlines, the route allows passengers from around 50 Chinese cities to connect via Beijing to Finland and onward to Europe. The airline expects the service to support tourism, trade and people-to-people exchanges between China and the Nordics.
China has long been Finland’s largest trading partner in Asia. Bilateral trade reached 8.26 billion dollars last year, showing a slight increase compared to the previous year.
Finavia said the new route will strengthen connectivity between North China and Northern Europe. It is expected to increase travel flows in both directions.
The launch coincides with China’s summer–autumn flight schedule, running until October. Chinese authorities expect more than 20,000 international flights per week during this period, marking a year-on-year increase.
