Finnair has extended its new seasonal service to Sapporo in Japan to operate year-round.

The service will launch in December and during the winter season will operate twice a week departing Helsinki on Sundays and Thursdays and returning from Sapporo on Mondays and Fridays.

During the summer season flights will depart from Helsinki on Sundays and Wednesdays and from Sapporo on Mondays and Thursdays.

Finnair will be the only European airline to offer direct scheduled flights between Sapporo and Europe and will operate an Airbus A330.

Hokkaido is well known for its landscapes and outdoor activities both in summer and winter.

It is a popular winter and skiing destination and is famous for its seafood, ramen and Japanese ‘onsen’ or hot spring spas.

In response to increased demand for flights to Japan, Finnair will also add capacity to Osaka by adding two weekly frequencies on the route from the start of the 2020 summer season. The total number of Finnair’s weekly flights to Osaka will rise to 12.

Both Sapporo and Osaka routes are operated in codeshare with partner Japan Airlines.

From March 2020, Finnair will also launch direct daily flights to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, in addition to its existing daily flights to Tokyo’s Narita Airport.

Finnair flies up to seven times daily from London Heathrow to Helsinki, twice daily from Manchester and up to twice a day from Edinburgh.