Finnair Launches Seattle-Helsinki Polar Route (+Photos)

DALLAS - Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) welcomed Finnair's (AY) inaugural service from Seattle to Helsinki (HEL), marking the SEA's latest new international service.

The flight's shorter polar route allows for quick access to the Nordic countries as well as quick connections to destinations across Europe and beyond. Passengers can connect to Finnair's oneworld partner Alaska Airlines' (AS) large network in Seattle.

Comments from Seattle-Tacoma Airport

“We’re proud of the resilience of the Seattle market,” said Lance Lyttle, SEA Airport Managing Director.

“Finnair’s Helsinki service is SEA’s eighth new international service to launch since the start of the pandemic, and we’re excited to be able to welcome them into our brand new International Arrivals Facility.”

Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport, also known as Helsinki Airport, is the main international airport serving the Helsinki metropolitan area and is the largest airport in Finland, measured by size and the number of passengers. 

More Emphasis on the West

As a network airline, AY is seated right by the Russian border and has until recently banked on its neighbor's airspace for much of its international network. The carrier connects a variety of Asian cities to Europe and further through HEL, and most of these routes are now in cold storage. However, AY is making crucial adjustments and fixes to stay afloat.

As a first response, AY updated its network and is placing more emphasis on connections to the West, South Asia, and the US, as travel starts to recover at a rapid pace after the pandemic.

A Modernized Aircraft Fleet

This summer sees the airline increasing its offering to over 300 daily flights. This spring, AY also unveiled a €200m investment in customer experience with its updated long-haul cabin.  

The complete cabin renewal covers all of AY's Airbus A350 and A330 long-haul aircraft, with new cabins to be fitted over the next two years. This demonstrates AY's continued commitment to offering a modern premium experience.

Finnair has now updated six of its wide-body aircraft, and the elevated long-haul experience is already available on its HEL-SIN, HEL-ORD, HEL-JFK, ARN-JFK, and now HEL-SEA connections. 

You can read more about AY's network strategy for the summer in our exclusive interview with Finnair's Chief Commercial Officer, Ole Orvér.

Featured Image: Brandon Farris/Airways