Finnair and oneworld partner Qatar Airways have concluded an agreement to establish a long-term strategic cooperation between Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen and Doha. Finnair and Qatar Airways are exploring opening services also between another European destination and Doha.
These services will be supported by a comprehensive codeshare agreement with shared passenger and cargo capacity between both airlines.
Customers from the three Nordic cities will benefit from seamless connections via Doha to Qatar Airways’ extensive network of around 100 destinations across Australasia, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The collaboration will also open new destinations and connection opportunities across Finnair’s Nordic network for Qatar Airways’ customers.
The services are planned to start between November and December 2022. They will be operated with Finnair’s Airbus A330 aircraft featuring Finnair’s new long-haul cabins, including industry-leading Air Lounge business class seats, a brand-new premium economy travel class and refreshed economy class.
The flights to Doha are to be sold and marketed by both Finnair and Qatar Airways as per the schedule below:
- 7 weekly flights to and from Helsinki
- 7 weekly flights to and from Stockholm
- 7 weekly flights to and from Copenhagen
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said: “As a fellow oneworld member, we enjoy a close relationship with Finnair and these new services to Hamad International Airport are an example of Qatar Airways working with partners for the benefit of our joint customers. This strategic partnership demonstrates our commitment to the Nordic markets and strengthens our position as the leading Middle East carrier in this important region. This partnership will be the foundation for the future expansion here.”
Mr Al Baker added: “Soon, Doha will be the oneworld hub bringing more airline partners together than ever before. With this codeshare agreement, travellers from the Nordics will continue to have excellent connectivity to Doha with Finnair and onwards with Qatar Airways to attractive leisure and key business destinations across Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Middle East.”
“We are delighted to expand our collaboration with our oneworld partner Qatar Airways, offering new connections between Doha and the three Nordic capitals”, says Finnair CEO Topi Manner. “The role of Doha as an international hub is growing, and Qatar Airways has extensive connections from Doha onwards to for example Australasia, the Middle East and Africa.”
All Finnair flights to Doha will be operated by A330 aircraft.
However, what Finnair didn’t tell in its press release announcing the Doha flights is that, at the same time, it is cancelling the transatlantic flights between Stockholm Arlanda and New York, Miami and Los Angeles, which launched barely one year ago.
“They have exceeded expectations, especially now during the summer, the Swedish travellers have found our USA flights. But we also see that the winter season is a different market and thus we make a strategic change of long-haul destinations from Arlanda. Of course, the possibility of flying with us to the USA remains with only a short transit stop in Helsinki. Nowadays there are Dallas and Seattle as destinations,” says Finnair’s Scandinavia boss Robert Lönnblad.
