First Chinese airline to commence flights directly to Finland

Tibet Airlines, the first Chinese airline to commences flights to Finland (Photo: Finavia)

Tibet Airlines will be the first Chinese airline to commence long haul flights between Finland and Jinan, located half way between Beijing and Shanghai. If the prices are attractive and connecting flights schedules are available without too long waiting time, this will open a new route for Finns and other Nordic expats in China to go back and forth to Scandinavia.

The new flight from Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport to Helsinki Airport will be available on April 8th in both business and economy class and operated with Airbus A330 wide-bodied aircraft twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays.

Helsinki Airport’s excellent location between Northern Europe and Asia draws in Chinese tourists according to Joni Sundelin, Finavia Director, who is responsible for flight route planning at Helsinki Airport “In addition to Helsinki Airport, the direction is good at the airports located in the central regions of Finland. The excellent numbers speak for a favorable economic situation, as well as the strengthening of Helsinki Airport’s position as a bridge between Europe and Asia. This development has also given a boost to the other airports in our network.”

Helsinki Airport (Photo: Finavia)

“The growth in passenger numbers is the result of increased transfer travel. In 2018, transfer travel went up by 21 per cent. At the same time, Finland’s appeal as a destination continues to grow. In Lapland, the current winter season is the busiest ever. Chinese tourists are extremely important to us, and we have invested in both services for Chinese travellers and the customer experience at Helsinki Airport to ensure that their first impressions of Finland are as positive as possible,” Joni Sundelin continues.

As the same way, Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport, located along the Yellow River in China is also an outstanding airport to welcome the passenger from Northern Europe. Based on the record, Jinan Airport was the 26th busiest airport in China with 7,664,111 passengers in 2012 and in December 2016, Jinan welcome Sichuan Airlines’ non-stop intercontinental service from Jinan to Los Angeles.

In addition to establish the Jinan route, Finavia has collaborated with the City of Vantaa trade and business services and Visit Finland according to José Valanta, City of Vantaa Head of Trade and Business “The new flight connection is the result of successful cooperation between the cities of Jinan and Vantaa. New business opportunities will open up for Finnish businesses both in Jinan and throughout the entire Shandong province, which has 100 million residents. At the same time, the role of Aviapolis as our nation’s fastest growing trade and business area is strengthened,”

Moreover, Paavo Virkkunen from Visit Finland says “In terms of Visit Finland, the commencement of direct Tibet Airlines flights from Jinan to Helsinki is a significant addition to travel directed from China to Finland. There have previously been no direct connections from Jinan or the rest of Shandong to Finland. The new route also opens up new opportunities for Finnish travellers in Shandong,”

 

Source: Finavia’s website

 

 

About Nilobon Bantoey

Journalist • ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd. • Bangkok Thailand

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