Qatar Airways inaugurated its daily service to the Finnish capital of Helsinki (HEL) on 10 October.

To celebrate the special occasion, the airline flew one of its A350s from Doha (DOH), but will operate the city pair with a 132-seat A320 going forward. The launch of the new route to Helsinki completes Qatar Airways’ network strategy of serving Nordic capitals, which currently includes Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo. To support the new destination launch, the airline also announced a new codeshare with Finnair, expanding Qatar Airways’ presence in the Baltic States and Nordic countries. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said: “Launching our new route to Helsinki is a proud moment for the airline, completing our strategy of serving the needs of Europe’s Nordic capitals and facilitating connections for businesses, cultures and families between Finns and people throughout the world. With this new service, the people of Helsinki have convenient and world-class air service to more destinations, and we look forward to welcoming our new customers on board.” Finavia President and CEO Kari Savolainen, said: “We want to express our warmest welcome to Qatar Airways and its new route between Helsinki and Doha. This is a fantastic addition to our selection of destinations and thanks to the route launch Helsinki Airport now has even better connections to the world. We ensure that our passengers enjoy their journey before and between their flights at the airport, selected as the best airport in Northern Europe in 2016.” No other airline offers this city pair, and neither of the remaining MEB3 carriers – Emirates or Etihad Airways ‒ flies to Helsinki at this time

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