According to recent information shared by aviation blogger @Veron, Juneyao Air has updated its long-haul flight schedule. The Zhengzhou–Helsinki route, which operates once a week on Wednesdays and was originally planned to run through the end of the current season, now shows February 25, 2026 as the last bookable flight in major OTA systems.
Other aviation bloggers have also suggested that the airline may suspend this route in the first quarter of 2026.
However, Juneyao Air is expected to continue operating the Shanghai Pudong–Helsinki route, served by Boeing 787-9 aircraft with five flights per week. The final operating schedule is subject to the airline’s official announcements.
The Zhengzhou–Helsinki route officially launched on October 12, 2020, making it the first newly opened scheduled intercontinental route by a Chinese airline after the outbreak of COVID-19.
Operated with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner widebody aircraft, the route became the only direct air link between Central China (particularly the Central Plains region) and Northern Europe, filling a significant gap in regional international connectivity. Reportedly, load factors have been solid by intercontinental standards, with especially strong performance during the winter season (December to March), when demand for Northern Lights tourism boosts both seat occupancy and fares.
Competitive pricing has been one advantage of the route. In addition, passengers are eligible for high-speed rail fare reimbursement: outbound rail tickets within 24 hours before scheduled departure and inbound tickets within 24 hours after arrival can be reimbursed by presenting physical rail tickets at Juneyao Air’s airport counter. Reimbursements are processed within two months, capped at RMB 400 per one-way trip and RMB 800 round-trip. Rail journeys within Zhengzhou city (such as Zhengzhou East Station to Xinzheng Airport Station) are excluded.
The route was launched under the official framework of “Henan–Finland cooperation” and benefited from government subsidy support.
If the route is ultimately suspended, possible reasons include capacity constraints at Juneyao Air or a reduction in subsidies, with the latter widely seen as the more likely factor.
There is also speculation that after China Southern Airlines launched its Beijing–Helsinki service, the Zhengzhou–Helsinki route may have lost some of its competitive advantage.
At present, Juneyao Air operates two international routes from Zhengzhou: Zhengzhou–Milan and Zhengzhou–Helsinki.
