Finnair celebrates 70 years of flights between London and Helsinki

The airline’s inaugural flight between the two cities departed 1 September 1954.

Finnair celebrated 70 years of flights between London and Helsinki today, having operated its first-ever service between the two cities in 1954.

The Nordic airline’s inaugural flight departed Helsinki on 1 September 1954, flying to Copenhagen and on to Dusseldorf, before finally arriving in London Airport – now known as Heathrow – over eight hours later; compared to just three hours today.

Finnair’s new connection was initially priced at 55,200 Finnish Marks, approximately £1,900 in today’s money and was operated by a Convair 340/440 Metropolitan, capable of carrying 44 customers.

The route’s inception back in September 1954 also coincided with another of transport’s greatest achievements, the launch of the iconic London Routemaster bus, meaning Finnair’s customers could also ‘fly’ around the iconic capital upon touchdown.

Today, the London to Helsinki route remains integral to Finnair’s network, with the airline having just announced a 50% increase in flights on the route, starting from 27 October 2024. With this, Finnair will now offer British customers six daily flights between the two capitals, showing its commitment to the UK market.

In contrast to the route’s original Convair 340/440 Metropolitan aircraft, customers now benefit from flights operated by a mix of the airline’s Airbus fleet, including widebody A350s and A330s featuring lie-flat Business Class seats and inflight entertainment.

To mark the platinum anniversary, customers travelling between Heathrow and Helsinki today were treated to gifts, including traditional liquorice allsorts – one of the most well-known sweets in Finland – highlighting the strong bond and the good taste of both the Finns and the Brits.

Celebrations also hit the right note, with customers treated to live music from the ‘Finnair Singers’, the airline’s choir, which has been uniting airline employees with their love of music since 1949.

Anssi Partanen, Finnair Market Director Europe, said: “We are incredibly proud to be celebrating 70 years since our first flight took off for London, and it is great to see how much the route has evolved since 1954.

“London has always been an important city for Finnair, and for our customers, so to mark the route’s platinum anniversary is a huge milestone on our journey.

“Whether travelling for business, heading off on holiday, or flying back to family and friends, this connection has made the world that little bit smaller, and now with six flights a day, we know even more customers will choose to fly with us to Finland, Asia, and beyond.”

Spencer Adaway, Team Heathrow Director, said: “We are delighted to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Finnair flights between London and Helsinki. The route’s inauguration in 1954 was a historic moment for both cities, and Heathrow is proud to continue working with our partner airlines to improve international connectivity.”

Customers looking to bag a break in the World’s Happiest Country, can enjoy return flights from London to Helsinki starting from £174 in Economy Class and £546 in Business Class, including taxes and charges.

Voted the best airline in Northern Europe, Finnair offers flights to 27 Nordic destinations, and boasts a strong network of destinations in Asia, including up to 20 weekly flights to Japan.

With smooth and easy transfers in Helsinki from as little as 35 minutes, thanks to all flights operating from the same terminal, customers can also enjoy stress-free travel when flying for business or leisure.

Finnair’s frequent flyer programme, Finnair Plus, has also recently adopted Avios as its loyalty currency – the loyalty currency used by British Airways Executive Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, and Iberia Plus. This gives UK based customers the opportunity to collect-and-spend Avios when travelling with Finnair.

For more information on Finnair’s routes and schedules, visit finnair.com