Finnair has announced plans to extend its seasonal Guangzhou route to year-round operations and will operate between Helsinki (HEL) and Guangzhou (CAN) with two weekly frequencies during winter season 2019/2020, with effect from October 30, 2019. Finnair launched its Guangzhou route as a summer route in 2016, and as of this spring, will serve the route with its Airbus A350 aircraft, adding both passenger and cargo capacity to the route.

“The extension of the operating season of our Guangzhou route is a logical next step in our Asian strategy,” says Christian Lesjak, senior vice president, network and resource management. “Travel between Finnair’s Chinese destinations and Europe is increasing, and we are happy now to be able to offer year-round operations to our passengers and cargo customers.”

The upgrade of Finnair’s Helsinki-Guangzhou route will complement the existing twice-daily service between Helsinki and Hong Kong.

As part of the upgrade, Finnair will move its flight operations to the new Terminal 2 in Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Having opened just last year, Terminal 2 is optimized and designed for smooth transfer traffic, and this move also will support the planned codeshare collaboration between Finnair and China Southern, who offers extensive domestic connections from Guangzhou onwards.

Finnair flies between Guangzhou and Helsinki with four weekly frequencies in the summer season, and two weekly frequencies in the winter season. Finnair serves seven destinations – Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing and Xian in China, and will in summer season 2019 operate up to 42 weekly frequencies to China from its Helsinki hub.