Finnair to Add 12 Schedules and Up Frequency on Other Routes for Summer 2016

Finnair is opening new routes from Helsinki to Edinburgh, Billund, Pula and Svalbard for its summer 2016 timetable.

In addition, in summer 2016 Finnair will replace with scheduled services its previous charter flights to the Greek islands of Zakynthos, Skiathos, Santorini, Mytilene and Preveza.

Finnair was the first airline to operate Airbus A321 aircraft with fuel-saving Sharklet wingtip devices

Finnair will also replace its previous charters to Rimini and Verona in Italy and to Varna in Bulgaria with scheduled services, for its summer 2016 season.

According to the airline, its decision to change the charter flights to scheduled services gives people the opportunity to choose a package tour or an individual vacation.

In 2016, Finnair will serve Edinburgh from April 18 to October 27.

“The Edinburgh flight will give excellent possibilities for our Asian customers to connect to Scotland on their trips to the UK, and it will connect Scotland to Finnair’s extensive Asian network, which covers 13 airports,” says Petri Vuori, Finnair’s vice-president of global sales.

Danish city Billund in Jutland, on the country’s mainland, will become a year-round destination for Finnair from April 4.

Finnair ordered five Sharklet-equipped Airbus A321s in 2013, to add to six A321 already in service. Finnair selected IAE V2533-A5 engines for its five new A321s

“Billund Airport is the second largest airport in Denmark and serves an important business market in Jutland. Finnair currently serves Copenhagen five times per day. With the Billund service Finnair will also provide people in Western Denmark with convenient connections to Finland and Asia,” says Vuori.

Finnair will continue to increase its Croatia service by operating two round-trips a week between Helsinki and Pula from June 20 to August 12.

Pula is situated at the southern tip of the Istrian peninsula, overlooking the Adriatic. Its well preserved Roman amphitheatre is one of the best-known sightseeing attractions in Croatia.

Finnair also flies to Dubrovnik and Split, offering a total of 14 weekly flights to Croatia. In 2016 the carrier will also increase its Split service, offering two additional round-trips a week next summer.

In 2016, Finnair will become the first airline to offer scheduled international services to Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.

This Sharklet equipped Finnair Airbus A321 is photographed from behind at the airline’s main base at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport

From June 1 to August 27, the airline will operate three round-trips a week from Helsinki to the northernmost airport in the world.

Svalbard, which is located between Norway and the North Pole, is located in an arctic wilderness.

“During Midsummer we will provide three weekly flights to Svalbard, which is mainly aimed at European customers, but can be also be connected from our Asian flights,” says Vuori.

In summer 2016 Finnair will also increase the number of flights it operates to Malta, Tel Aviv, and Biarritz and Nice in France.

Malta was a new destination for Finnair this summer and the airline says there has been high demand for its Malta flights from passengers from Finland and Asia, so it will add an extra round-trip each week for summer 2016.