In the morning time of November 04 (at 07:10 a.m.), an Airbus A330 aircraft with flight number AY081 arrived at Beijing Daxing International Airport (code: PKX, hereinafter referred to as "Daxing Airport") for the first time, marking that the operation of Finnair to Daxing Airport is officially opened. The following inaugural ceremony was successfully held at the departure hall of the terminal at the fourth floor. Mr. Jarno Syrjälä, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Embassy of Finland to China, Mr. Mikko Turtiainen, Vice President of Global Sales of Finnair and Mr. Kong Yue, Vice President of Beijing Daxing International Airport witnessed this historical moment together with more than 60 distinguished guests and media friends nationwide.

From November 03, 2019, onwards Finnair adds three weekly frequencies to Daxing Airport during winter season 2019/2020 on Mondays, Wednesday, and Sundays. On top of daily flights to Beijing Capital International Airport, Finnair flies 10 weekly frequencies in total. The route is operated with an A330 aircraft and the flying time from Beijing to Helsinki is about 8 hours. The flight departures from Beijing at 11:10 (local time), and arrives at Helsinki at 14:05 (local time), with flight number AY082. The return flight AY081 from Helsinki departures at 17:05 (local time) and arrives at Beijing at 07:10 (local time).

Mr. Mikko Turtiainen, Vice President of Global Sales of Finnair, delivered a keynote speech at the inaugural ceremony. He pointed out: "we are very excited flying to Daxing Airport. China has long been one of the most important global markets for Finnair. With the added capacity, we are proud to satisfy more travel demands between Beijing and over 100 destinations in Europe, allowing travellers short flight times and convenient transfers via Helsinki. "

Daxing Airport was officially put into operation on September 25, 2019. So far, it is the biggest integrated transport hub in the world, with an area of 1.43 million square meters. The annual passenger traffic is estimated to reach 72 million by the year of 2025. Mr. Kong Yue, Vice President of Beijing Daxing International Airport said:"Beijing-Helsinki flight is an important connection between two countries' Capitals. As one of the first international carriers commencing operations at Daxing, Finnair will provide more convenient services and travel options for passengers, which will further promote economic and cultural communications and friendly relations between China and Finland."

As the first foreign airline to announce its operation to Daxing Airport, Finnair has a strong commitment and long history in China. As of today, the non-stop routes Finnair flies to Great China includes Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Nanjing and Hong Kong, with Alipay mobile payment and WI-FI connectivity onboard. With Daxing Airport officially opened, the capital Beijing has stepped into the "dual hub" era, which also presents opportunities for Finnair to boost its sustainable growth in China. In the meantime, Finnair looks forward to continuing to explore Chinese market to serve our passengers with more quality services and products.

Contributed by Finnair