Finnair plans flights to Yekaterinburg - More flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg

Finnair is planning to begin scheduled flights next autumn from Helsinki to
Yekaterinburg, located in the Urals. In air transport agreement negotiations
between Russia and Finland it was also agreed that the number of Finnair and
Aeroflot joint flights to and from Moscow will rise in April to four per day,
and that the number of St. Petersburg flights operated by Finnair in
cooperation with the airline Rossiya will rise to 22 per week. 

Finnair plans to fly to Yekaterinburg three times per week. The city is the
main centre of the Urals Federal District with good connections to all parts of
the vast region of Siberia. 

“There are already a number of European companies in the historical city of
Yekaterinburg and trade relations with the west have been lively for several
years. Demand indicates that there is also a clear need for the route,” says
Sverker Skogberg  Director International Relations Finnair. 

The number of Moscow flights on the other hand will double when Finnair and
Aeroflot, from next April, cooperate in flying four times a day between
Helsinki and Moscow, i.e. 28 times per week. 

“The longed-for additional capacity between the Russian and Finnish capitals
has long been the subject of negotiations. A return business trip to Moscow can
in future be done within a single day. A codeshare agreement with Aeroflot
means that Finnish and Russian business passengers and tourists can be offered
morning and evening connections between the capital cities,” explains Skogberg. 

Finnair also flies in Russia to St. Petersburg. A total of 20 flights per week
are made in cooperation with the Russian airline Rossiya. In the negotiations
it was agreed to increase the number of flights from next summer to 22 per
week. In 2009 the companies intend to fly between Helsinki and St. Petersburg
four times per day, i.e. 28 times per week, similar to the arrangement between
Helsinki and Moscow. 

FINNAIR Plc 
Communications 21 February 2008 

Further information: Director International Relations, Finnair Plc ,
Sverker Skogberg, tel. +358 9 818 4072