Helsinki greets first Qatar Airways flight

Helsinki welcomed the first Qatar Airways flight from Doha yesterday, marking the inauguration of a new daily service that connects the Finnish capital to more than 150 destinations worldwide.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker and Finnish ambassador to Qatar Riitta Swan travelled on board the inaugural flight and were greeted by a VIP delegation that included Finland’s Minister of Transport and Communications Anne Berner, president and CEO of Finavia Kari Savolainen, CEO of Visit Helsinki Tuulikki Becker and Finpro executive vice-president, head of Visit Finland, Paavo Virkkunen.
The airline flew one of its new-generation Airbus A350 aircraft to Helsinki to celebrate the special occasion and would operate the daily service with an Airbus A320 going forward, the Doha-based carrier said in a press statement. Qatar Airways’ Airbus A320 has a two-class configuration with 12 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy.
“The launch of the new route to Helsinki completes Qatar Airways’ network strategy of serving Nordic capitals, which currently includes Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo, and reinforces its commitment to serving the people of Northern Europe,” the statement noted.
To support the new destination launch, the airline also announced a new code-share partnership with Finnair, with effect from yesterday, expanding Qatar Airways’ presence in the Baltic states and Nordic countries while strengthening Finnair’s network in the Middle East and beyond.
On the occasion, al-Baker said: “Launching our new route to Helsinki is a proud moment for the airline, completing our strategy of serving the needs of Europe’s Nordic capitals and facilitating connections for businesses, cultures and families between Finns and people throughout the world. With this new service, the people of Helsinki have a convenient and world-class air service to more destinations, and we look forward to welcoming our new customers on board.”
Meanwhile, Savolainen said: “We want to express our warmest welcome to Qatar Airways and its new route between Helsinki and Doha. This is a fantastic addition to our selection of destinations.”
Virkkunen added, “We are happy to welcome Qatar Airways with its global network to open access to Finland from markets that represent new growth potential to the Finnish travel industry.”
The flight schedule is as follows: (Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday) QR303 departing Doha at 1.35am and arriving in Helsinki at 8.10am, and QR304 departing Helsinki at 10.55am and arriving in Doha at 5.15pm; (Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday) QR301 departing Doha at 8.15am and arriving in Helsinki at 2.50pm, and QR302 departing Helsinki at 5.45pm and arriving in Doha at
12.05am (+1).