Finnair, the flag carrier of Finland, is celebrating three decades of flights to Osaka this weekend, having initially launched the Asian route in 1995.
Taking to the skies for the first time on 19 April 1995, Finnair became an industry frontrunner, connecting Europe and Asia via the ‘short northern route’ and bridging the emerging Japanese city to Europe.
Flights on the route were initially operated twice per week, on the airline’s McDonnell Douglas wide-body fleet, before growing to a daily operation today thanks to rising demand for travel to the Far East.
To celebrate the new route, Finnair decorated its aircraft with custom ‘Moomin’ decals, coinciding with the airline’s newly launched partnership with the Finnish icon in 1995. This move aimed to symbolise the close relationship between Finland and Japan, where Moomins had become well-loved household characters.
Finnair’s first flight to the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ took off on 22 April 1983, with a new non-stop service to Tokyo-Narita, becoming the only airline at the time to offer direct flights between Western Europe and Japan.
In the next decade, the airline added direct flights from Helsinki to Osaka, before growing its Asian network further to include other Japanese cities.
This summer, the journey to Osaka will be easier than ever thanks to Finnair, as the airline launches daily flights to the city, up from five per week last year. These flights will support Osaka’s position on the global stage, as the city gears up to host World Expo 2025.
Finnair is also proud to have reclaimed its title of the largest European airline to Japan by flights, offering 25 weekly flights from Helsinki to Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita, Osaka, and Nagoya, showcasing the airline’s strong loyalty to the country.
Anssi Partanen, Finnair Market Director Europe, said: “We are proud to celebrate Finnair’s Osaka route turning 30, showcasing Finnair’s commitment to not only the city, but the wider Japanese market.
“Finnair has always been known for its connections between Europe and Japan, so we are excited to be further increasing our capacity to the market this summer, with the addition of daily flights to Osaka in time for the World Expo.”
Brits looking to escape to Osaka can book a trip on Finnair via Helsinki starting from £865 in Economy, £1,729 in Premium Economy and £3,734 in Business Class, including taxes and charges.
Services to Asia have also been specifically timed to allow for easy connections from Finnair’s UK destinations – including London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh, with smooth and easy transfers between flights from as little as 40 minutes, thanks to all flights operating from the same terminal.
