Finnair is to begin its own cargo flights on the Seoul and Hong Kong routes in May. The flights will be operated using a Boeing MD-11 which was formerly used in Finnair's passenger traffic but which has now been converted into a cargo aircraft. "Growing cargo demand in the Asian market gives us the opportunity to expand capacity between Asia and Europe. Traffic will be directed from Asia mainly to Northern Europe, which is our domestic market area," explains Finnair Cargo's Managing Director Antero J. Lahtinen. The cargo aircraft will fly both routes twice per week. Flights will depart Helsinki for Seoul on Wednesday and Sundays and to Hong Kong on Thursdays and Saturdays. The return flights from Seoul to Helsinki will be on Mondays and Thursdays and from Hong Kong to Helsinki on Fridays and Sundays. The first flight from Helsinki to Seoul will depart on 12 May. "We are starting off with a good traffic programme. We also carry cargo on our Asian passenger flights, but the cargo flights will supplement our capacity. MD-11 is one of the most used types of cargo aircraft in the world," says Lahtinen. The MD-11's cargo capacity is more than 80,000 kilos and 500 cubic metres. Finnair Plc Communications 29.4.2010 More information: Antero J. Lahtinen, SVP Finnair Cargo, tel. +358 9 818 5400