Finnair to give Xi’an European connection
The historic Chinese city of Xi’an will become connected to Europe for the first time next year, when Finnair launches a new direct service from Helsinki.
Finnair will begin flying to Xi’an in summer 2013, marking the latest stage in the airline’s Asian expansion strategy. Flights will operate three times a week from 14 June 2013, running until the end of the northern summer season on 26 October. Finnair will operate a wide-body Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the route.
“I’m very excited and pleased to announce Xi’an as our fifth destination in China,” said Finnair’s 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.”
Flights to Xi’an will depart Helsinki at 1740 every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving in Shaanxi’s provincial capital at 0630 the following day. The return leg will depart X’ian at 1035 every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, arriving back into Helsinki at 1415.
Xi’an, which is home to the famed Terracotta Warriors, becomes Finnair’s fifth Chinese port of call, following the launch of services to Chongqing in May 2012. The airline also flies to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Finnair previously announced plans double its Asian revenue by the year 2020, and will launch flights to Hanoi next summer. The carrier also flies to Bangkok, Delhi, Nagoya, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo.