skip to main content

Finnair considers expanding Dublin-Helsinki route

The airline operates on over 80 routes, including one between Dublin and Helsinki
The airline operates on over 80 routes, including one between Dublin and Helsinki

Finnair is always looking at the possibility of expanding its number of daily services between Dublin and Helsinki, a senior executive at the airline has said.

However, Anssi Partanen said services from Shannon to the Finnish capital are not currently being considered.

Mr Partanen, who is Market Director UK and Ireland at the airline, also expressed confidence in Dublin airport's operational resilience over the coming months, ahead of what he described as a "busy, busy summer."

"We are working together with airports to make sure this summer is met with substantial staff," he said.

Finnair currently operates up to eight flights a week between Dublin and Helsinki, a route it has been flying since 2015.

The carrier, which is 100 years old this year, uses Helsinki as a hub for passengers travelling onwards with it to a range of long-haul destinations.

Mr Partanen indicated that the airline would like to reach a point at some point in the future where it is running double daily flights on the Dublin route so that it could connect passengers with more of its Asian and US flights, although no increase in frequency is currently planned.

Finnair has had to substantially adjust its model in recent years, first due to the pandemic and then because of the war in Ukraine, which forced it to stop overflights in Russian and Ukrainian airspace.

The change has made its flights to Asian destinations up to 20% longer and more expensive.

However, the airline says passengers have accepted the situation and the Asian routes have recovered strongly post-pandemic.

It has also started to fly more to US and Middle Eastern destinations.

The company, which employs around 5,500 people, also recently invested €200m in improving its customer experience, including the refurbishment of its long-haul cabins.

Finnair is now back to 80% of its 2019 flying capacity and turned a small profit in the first quarter of this year, its third in a row.

Mr Partanen said the summer is looking "really good" for the entire industry due to high demand.

"We are no exception in that," he said.

The company, which flies to 80 destinations, wants to achieve net zero emissions by 2045, slightly ahead of the sectoral target.

The airline is working with Finnish energy firm Neste on the production of sustainable aviation fuel, although so far Finnair's use of it has been limited due to supply constraints.

Mr Partanen said up to 50% of passengers on the Dublin-Helsinki route are flying to stay in one or the other destination, with the balance travelling onwards to international locations.

As well as using Helsinki as a hub for connections, Finland is a popular destination among Irish passengers travelling to Lapland around Christmas time.