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Finnair’s Helsinki-New Delhi direct flights
To operate three flights a week between the two cities.
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
November 1, 2006
New Delhi: Finnish airline Finnair on Monday started its first scheduled service between Helsinki, its capital and
India's capital New Delhi.
The Finnish national carrier aims to cash in on the booming socio-economic relations between the nations.
The first flight, with Finnair deputy chief executive officer Henrik Arle on board, landed in New Delhi a little past midnight on Monday. The maiden Finnair flight covered a distance of 5,226 km in six and half hours.
Initially, the airline will have three flights weekly between New Delhi and Helsinki. Finnair’s now operates McDonnel Douglas Boeing MD-11 aircraft in the sector.
Finnair is also betting on the arrival of more Finland-based firms to do business in India. The airline hopes to grab a chunk of this lucrative travel segment.
Finnish firms including world’s largest mobile phone maker Nokia as well as Kone and Elcoteq are having grand plans for India ventures. That is the reason why Finnair is offering 36 business class seats on each flights.
New Delhi is Finnair’s tenth destination flight to an Asian region. Forty percent of Finnair’s revenues come from Asia, signifying the growing importance that the airline attaches to the region.
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