Finnair will resume flights to Shanghai on a weekly basis from July 23.
An Airbus A350 will take off from Helsinki airport tomorrow, after getting approval from the Chinese authorities to land in Shanghai. So far, Finland has opened its borders for work-related travel from China, but entry to Finland is still restricted for UK travellers with the requirement for a 14-day quarantine on arrival still place.
The carrier will resume flights between Edinburgh and Helsinki from August 1, with three flights a week. It will add to the list of 30 or more destinations which it added in July, to which it has been sending 80-90 flights daily. In the UK, it has already added Heathrow and Manchester, other than connecting 24 European destinations. The resumption of weekly flights is part of a phased restarting of Finnair?s services, which will see the carrier operating 25% of its previously scheduled flights this summer, as routes and frequencies are gradually being added. The airline will operate 70% of services during the winter season.
Ole Orv?r, Finnair chief commercial officer, said: ?The reopening of our Shanghai route is great news for our customers and an important step for us, as China continues to play a leading role in Finnair?s strategy. We look forward to increasing our service to the Chinese market.?
Andrew Fish, Finnair general manager UK, Ireland & Benelux, said: ?Finnair?s Shanghai services will play a big part in reconnecting Asia and the Far East with Europe. Customers from the UK and Ireland will now be able to fly to Helsinki and catch connecting flights into one of China?s most vibrant destinations.?
Finnair updates its flying schedule on a weekly basis, in response to the customer demand and has the capability of adding flights rapidly, as and when the travel restrictions are removed. Long-haul flights to Asia are also supported by increased cargo demand.
Finnair has introduced new hygiene measures, including a new ?Clean Kit? for customers, which contains a hand sanitiser, surface wipes, and an information leaflet packed in an envelope that can act as a waste collector pouch. At the airports, customers advised to wear a face mask and check in online. The frequency of on board cleaning has been intensified at all Finnair aircrafts, with a focus on high-touch surfaces. The cabin air, which is replaced every three minutes, passes through HEPA filters, capable of filtering more than 99.9% particles, including bacteria and viruses. Customers seated at the back board will leave the flight first with the reverse process for disembarking. Face masks are mandatory for all cabin crew and passengers, except for children under the age of seven. The airline's duty-free and inflight shopping services have been temporarily suspended.
