A350 to deliver for Finnair

Finnair A350 Business Class cabin

The new fuel-efficient aircraft has large panoramic view windows, dynamic ambient lighting and Wi-Fi on all Finnair flights.

Finnair says the wait for the delivery of its first  Airbus 350 in September next year "is  like waiting for the arrival of a new baby". 

"Everyone in the company is excited about it," says Jarkko Konttinen, vice president, marketing and product.

Finnair is the European launch customer for the A350-900, Airbus’ all-new mid-size long range product, which the airline will first operate on the Helsinki-Shanghai route in October 2015, followed by flights to Beijing and then Bangkok, with Hong Kong and Singapore next in line in 2016.

Finnair has 11 A350s on firm order with options for eight more.

With intense competition on routes between Europe and North and South-east Asia, Konttinen believes the A350 will give Finnair a clear advantage.

The new fuel-efficient aircraft has large panoramic view windows, dynamic ambient lighting and Wi-Fi on all Finnair flights. 

For its A350 Business Class Finnair has opted to use the Zodiac Cirrus seat – best known as the business class seat of Cathay Pacific. 

This means the 46 seats in Finnair's A350 Business Class cabin all have direct aisle access along with a large meal table and a cocktail side table. 

"These seats are more expensive but with a new fleet we didn't want to spoil the passenger experience with cheaper seats," said Konttinen, who believes the gap between First Class and Business Class is closing.

There will be 43 Economy Comfort seats and 208 Economy seats, all with a 3-3-3 layout. Passengers in Economy Comfort will enjoy extra legroom courtesy of a 35-inch pitch versus the tighter 31 inches of Economy, along with a more comfortable headrest on the seat, high-quality headphones and an amenity kit.

An Economy Comfort cabin will also be added to Finnair's current A340 fleet from the end of this year.

"There are travellers who want a bit more leg-space but don't want to pay that much,"  said Konttinen. “The price-point for our Economy Comfort starts at €45-€60 extra, so we think it is very affordable. We think if you are on a long-haul flight for 10 hours, it’s going to be very attractive."