Finnair will begin direct flights to Istanbul in March. Flights will start on 3 March with a twice-weekly service. The number of flights will be increased to four on 30 March, when Finnair will fly to Istanbul on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. "With the introduction of Istanbul, our route network will provide more comprehensive coverage of the whole continent," explains Petteri Kostermaa, who is responsible for Finnair's route network. "Due to our highly efficient onward connections, we can offer connecting flights from Turkey via Helsinki to Scandinavia, the Baltic countries and Finnair's entire Asian network - and back again. We also expect that a significant proportion of our customers will consist of both Turkish and Asian business and leisure passengers," Finnair will operate the Istanbul route with both Airbus 319 and Embraer 190 aircraft. The flight time is about three hours. Turkey's biggest and best known city, Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, is a mixture of past and present, Asia and Europe, Eastern and Western culture. The city's glittering history is apparent in the minarets of its mosques, the splendour of its sultans' palaces and the art treasures of its museums. Turkey is particular renowned as a beach holiday destination. The country has 1,500 kilometres of sandy beaches and in some areas the sun shines for 300 days per year. Visitors are attracted by the sun, the white, shimmering sand, the turquoise sea, captivating customs and multicultural experiences. Finnair Plc Communications 7 January 2009 Further information: Finnair Media Desk tel. +358 9 818 4020 or media.desk[a]finnair.com Finnair Group website: www.finnairgroup.com via.Helsinki: www.viahelsinki.com Finnair's image bank: www.finnair.com/gallery