First Long-Distance Route from Busan Launches... Finnair to Operate Gimhae~Helsinki Route Starting Late March Next Year
[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] The first long-haul international flight route departing from Busan is set to open. Finnair, which had postponed its launch due to COVID-19, has announced a new route to Gimhae International Airport early next year.
On the 16th, Finnair announced that it will launch a new Busan-Helsinki route at the end of March next year. The Busan-Helsinki route will operate three times a week, using Finnair's latest aircraft model, the Airbus A350.
This will mark the first long-haul European route at Gimhae Airport. Previously, Finnair planned to start operating this route in March last year following an air service agreement established during President Moon Jae-in's state visit to Finland in 2019, but the launch was postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The establishment of this long-haul route is expected to greatly improve travel convenience for air passengers in the Yeongnam region. Previously, passengers had to use direct flights to Europe from Incheon International Airport, which was inconvenient. The new long-haul route to Europe will reduce such inconveniences.
Finnair plans to begin operating this route at the end of March next year, with specific launch dates and flight frequencies to be finalized early next year after consultations with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and relevant quarantine authorities.
Ole Orv?r, Senior Vice President of Finnair's Commercial Division, said, "We are very pleased to be able to proceed with the new Busan route that was suspended due to COVID-19," adding, "The Busan-Helsinki route is a very important stepping stone for Finnair to strengthen its network connecting Asia and Europe."
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Meanwhile, following the recovery trend in air travel demand, Finnair plans to resume flights to over 100 cities during the summer season next year. Along with Busan, new routes will also be launched to Sapporo in Japan, Zagreb in Croatia, and Larnaca in Cyprus.
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