10 Finnair Facts To Celebrate 100 Years Of The Airline

Forbes Lifestyle Travel 10 Finnair Facts To Celebrate 100 Years Of The Airline David Nikel Senior Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Travel with a focus on Norway & Scandinavia, and the cruise industry. Following Oct 6, 2023, 09:34am EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Finnair, the flag carrier of Finland, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

getty In an aviation world marked by startups, mergers, financial challenges, pandemics, and environmental concerns, reaching a century in operations is a noteworthy achievement. On November 1, 2023, Finnair proudly marks its 100th anniversary. Founded in 1923, the Finnish flag carrier is the world’s sixth oldest airline in continuous operation, and the third oldest in Europe after KLM and Czech Airlines.

Get to know the anniversary airline better with these ten Finnair facts. Finnair was originally known as Aero Although the airline was founded 100 years ago, it was known as Aero for its first chapter. The company began using the brand Finnair in 1953, but it would take a further 15 years before the official name change.

The original name is reflected in Finnair’s airline code AY, with Y referring to the Finnish word for company. Finnair’s first aircraft landed with skis The German-crafted Junkers F 13 was Aero’s inaugural aircraft. Adapted to the Finnish landscape, this seaplane employed skis during the winter months and floats in the summer, as there were no terrestrial commercial airfields in Finland at the time.

Aero’s debut commercial journey was tasked with transporting mail from Helsinki to Tallinn. In its inaugural year, Aero successfully transported 269 passengers. The transition to terrestrial flights became complete after the final seaplane journey in December 1936.

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During the 2010s, Finnair became the first European airline to offer non-stop flights to Chongqing and Xi’an. Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Fukuoka were added soon afterwards. First small airline to enter the jet age In 1960, Aero pioneered the jet age for small airlines by introducing its new Caravelle passenger jets.

Initially, these jets operated on the Helsinki–Copenhagen–Cologne–Frankfurt and Helsinki–Stockholm–Oslo routes. Subsequently, the airline expanded its use of the Caravelles to cities including Hamburg, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Zurich, and Malmö. The airline embraces Finnish design Finnish design is known around the world for its beauty, simplicity, and influences from the natural world.

Finnair has long collaborated with some of the country’s most famous designers. Finnair cabin crew wore historic uniforms in 2008 to celebrates the airline’s 85th anniversary. Getty Images Iittala’s Ultima Thule glassware range designed by Tapio Wirkkala was introduced on Finnair’s flagship New York route, and used for many years onboard.

Since 2012, Finnair has collaborated with Marimekko, using the brand’s famous textiles in its cabins. Finnair has Moomin livery on two aircraft To celebrate the airline’s 100th anniversary, two of its aircraft used on long-haul routes have received a Moomin-themed makeover. An illustration of Snorkmaiden and Moomintroll, two characters from the beloved Finnish children’s tales, takes pride of place on two Airbus A350 aircraft .

Finnair has collaborated with the iconic Finnish childrens’ brand Moomin since 1995. “Moomins represent friendship, community and going on adventures together, so they are a great fit for our values,” said Finnair CEO Topi Manner. Finnair is the ‘official’ airline of Santa Finnair is often humorously referred to as the “official airline of Santa Claus.

” This playful title stems from the town of Rovaniemi, located in Finnish Lapland just south of the Arctic Circle, which is considered the “official hometown” of Santa Claus. Finnair promotes flights to Rovaniemi, especially during the holiday season. Visitors often go there to meet Santa Claus and experience the magic of the Arctic Circle.

Enjoy a blueberry juice on board Long before blueberries were considered a superfood, they were a staple of Finnish cuisine, growing wild across the nation’s forests. Such widespread use inspired Finnair’s choice of blueberry juice as its signature onboard beverage. Finnair’s blueberry juice is crafted from wild blueberries, also known as bilberries.

Since launching the drink in 2014, Finnair has served approximately 250,000 U. S. gallons of blueberry juice every year.

Finnair’s pilot school opened in the 1950s In the midst of the rapid evolution of aviation during the 1950s, Finnair recognized the need for a dedicated institution to train the next generation of pilots. The Finnair Flight Academy has gone on to become a leading aviation school for Finnair and for aspiring aviators from around the world. The airline believes in electric aviation In 2019, Finnair embraced electric aviation through its partnership with the Nordic Initiative for Electric Aviation.

The group—which includes rival airlines SAS and Icelandair, and airport operators throughout the Nordic region—is working on developing aircraft technology for Nordic weather conditions and business models for point-to-point connectivity within the region. As part of its 2020 sustainability strategy, Finnair committed to achieving carbon-neutrality by 2045. Follow me on Twitter .

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