Next week, on Wednesday 4 March, Finnair will begin direct flights from Helsinki to Istanbul, Turkey. The first flight departs from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport on Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. and returns back to Helsinki in the evening. “With the introduction of Istanbul, our route network will provide more comprehensive coverage of the whole continent. Due to efficient connections, we can offer flights from Turkey via Helsinki to Scandinavia, the Baltic countries and the whole Asian network,” explains Finnair's Vice President Route Strategy and Traffic Planning Petteri Kostermaa. Initially, Finnair will fly to Istanbul twice per week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The number of flights per week will be increased to four on 30 March, after which the flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The flight time to Istanbul, which has a population of 12 million, is 3 hours and 15 minutes. Finnair will operate the Istanbul route with both Airbus 319- and Embraer 190 aircraft. Finnair Plus Platinum, Gold and Silver members, oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members and Finnair Business Class passengers are welcome to use the Millennium lounge at Istanbul Airport before their flight departure. The Millennium lounge is located in the departure gate area, after passport control and security check, escalator up to the second floor. Turkey's capital 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 in the art treasures of its museums. Turkey is renowned as an inexpensive 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 26.2.2009 Further information: Finnair Media Desk tel. +358 9 818 4020 or media.desk[a]finnair.com. Finnair's blog: http://blogs.finnair.com Image bank: www.finnair.com/gallery Finnair Group website: www.finnairgroup.com via.Helsinki: www.viahelsinki.com