Finnair was the first airline to offer direct flights between Western Europe and Japan in 1983, providing a non-stop service to Tokyo-Narita. Over the next decade, the airline expanded its Asian network to include other Japanese cities and this weekend, Finnair is celebrating thirty years of flights to Osaka.
Thirty Years of Flights to Osaka
On 19 April 1995, Finnair first connected Europe and Osaka, bridging the vast distance between the East and the West. The flight occurred through Finnair’s ‘short northern route,’ and the aircraft was decorated with the iconic characters of the Moomins, well-loved household characters in both countries.
Flights to Osaka originally operated twice a week, on the airline’s McDonnell Douglas wide-body fleet. This schedule has since expanded to daily flights, demonstrating the clear demand for travel to Japan and the route’s success. Finnair is now the largest European airline to Japan by flights, offering twenty-five weekly services from Helsinki to destinations around the Land of the Rising Sun. This includes Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita, Osaka, and Nagoya, demonstrating Finnair’s commitment and loyalty to providing connections to the Eastern country.
This Summer, Finnair is launching daily flights to Osaka, increasing from a schedule of five per week last year. This makes the journey easier than ever, and is set to support Osaka as the city readies itself to host the World Expo 2025 under this year’s theme of ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives.’ Finnair have carefully timed their services to Asia and organised all flights to operate from the same terminals, allowing for easy connections and smooth transfers from UK destinations, such as London Heathrow, Manchester, and Edinburgh. Fares for Brits looking to travel to Osaka start from £865 in Economy, £1,729 in Premium Economy and £3,734 in Business Class – including taxes and charges.
Anssi Partanen, Finnair’s Market Director Europe said:
“We are proud to celebrate Finnair’s Osaka route turning 30, showcasing Finnair’s commitment to not only the city, but the wider Japanese market.”
“Finnair has always been known for its connections between Europe and Japan, so we are excited to be further increasing our capacity to the market this summer, with the addition of daily flights to Osaka in time for the World Expo.”
About Finnair
A member of the Oneworld alliance, Finnair provides flights around the world and specialises in connecting passenger and cargo traffic between Asia, the Middle East, North America and Europe. Notably, Finnair is the only airline with year-round direct flights to Lapland.
Founded in 1923, Finnair is the fifth oldest airline in continuous operation and is the flag carrier of Finland. The airline is headquartered in Vantaa, with its hub in Helsinki. With its many years of service, Finnair has developed a reputation as one of the safest airlines in the world, encouraging customers to choose Finnair as the Best Airline in Northern Europe at the Skytrax Awards fourteen times in a row.
Do you have any plans to fly with Finnair to Japan? Let us know.
