Dubai-based carrier flydubai announced the launch of direct flights to Finland’s capital, Helsinki, during the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), a travel and tourism event. . The daily service from Dubai International (DXB) to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport will start from October 11 this year. flydubai will be the first UAE national carrier to operate direct, year-round flights to Finland. Emirates will codeshare on the Helsinki route and as part of the Emirates-flydubai partnership.
Since its launch in 2009, the airline has carried more than 50 million passengers and created a network of more than 100 destinations, with new cities such as Kinshasa, Dubrovnik and Krakow added to its routes in the last few months. Over the next decade, it will see its fleet grow up to 296 aircraft, as it placed the largest orders in the region for single-aisle Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft at the 2013 and 2017 editions of the Dubai Airshow.
The airline has been committed to removing travel barriers, creating free flows of trade and tourism and enhancing connectivity between different cultures across its ever-expanding network. It currently flies to eight airports in India.
Options galore
Speaking at ATM, Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer, flydubai, said: “flydubai will be the first UAE national carrier to offer direct flights to the capital of Finland. We remain committed to opening up previously underserved markets and to providing more travel options to fly to Dubai and beyond.”
Arabian Travel Market is the largest travel exhibition in the Middle East. This year, flydubai is participating at ATM for the eighth time, showcasing its new Business and Economy Class offering available on board its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The new cabin offersing features a flat-bed in Business Class, and the Economy Class offers new Recaro seats, which are designed to optimise space and comfort. The airline also offers improved inflight entertainment with a full HD, 11.6-inch screen, featuring a wide selection of movies, TV shows, music and games in English, Arabic and Russian.
Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice-President Commercial Operations at flydubai, said: “Helsinki is the 10th destination we announced this year as we open up destinations for passengers from across our network. We are confident that the high level of our service will make flights between Dubai and Helsinki a popular choice for passengers.”
The writer is in Dubai at the invitation of flydubai.