Finnair is adding two new points to its short-haul European network during summer 2023, as well as resuming a route that has been suspended for more than three years.
The Norwegian municipality of Bodø (BOO) is a new destination, while the Helsinki-based carrier will start flying to Milan Linate (LIN) alongside its existing service to Milan Malpensa.
Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, will also return to the oneworld alliance member’s network for the first time since October 2019.
Overall, Finnair will fly to more than 50 destinations across Europe this summer, with additional frequencies added to cities including Berlin, Copenhagen, Vilnius and Riga.
“Travel has recovered at a good pace, so we are increasing flights to popular destinations across Europe for leisure and business travellers,” Finnair CCO Ole Orvér said.
He added that the short-haul routes would help to provide feed for the airline’s long-haul flights to destinations in Asia via its Helsinki hub, helping to meet rising demand as countries in the Asia-Pacific region continue to reopen.
Bodø, located north of the Arctic Circle in Nordland county of Norway, has about 52,000 inhabitants and has been named a European Capital of Culture for 2024. The destination will be served three times per week by Nordic Regional Airlines, a joint venture by Finnair and Danish Air Transport.
Finnair’s booking system shows that flights to Milan Linate will begin on March 26, initially operating twice a week on Saturdays and Sundays. Service to Ljubljana will commence on April 1, running three times per week until late April when a fourth weekly rotation begins.
Finnair is continuing to adapt its network strategy following the closure of Russian airspace which has rendered many Asian routes financially unviable. The carrier’s business model had previously centered on connecting Europe and Asia using the shorter northern route over Russia.
However, in December the airline confirmed that Osaka Kansai in Japan will return on March 26 using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. In total, 12 destinations in Asia and the Middle East will be served during summer 2023, including Hong Kong, Tokyo Haneda (HND) and Tokyo Narita.
