Finnair's Delhi route 'a northern Europe first'

Finnair's new route between Helsinki and Delhi has been described as the first direct route to the Indian city operating in northern Europe.

The Finnish national carrier claims that business and leisure travel to Dehli is growing both in business and leisure terms, explaining the decision to introduce to the route, to be served initially by three flights a week.

This will be expanded to five flights a week using an MD-11 widebody jet, with the six-and-a-half-hour outbound flights coming every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and return flights the following day.

Henrik Arle, Finnair's chief executive, stated: "Our route is the shortest between the EU and India, so it is of genuine interest to travellers between the destinations."

"Advance demand for the route has been great, even though we are only just starting the flights," he added.

Finnair now claims to have ten airline destinations to Asia, including routes whereby tourists can fly to Beijing and Shanghai and two flights to Japan every day.

• Less than a week until Esta launch
• US connecting flights proving popular at Bristol Airport
• Record year for London City Airport
• Virgin Atlantic to celebrate 25th year
• Record passenger growth for Etihad in 2008
• KLM to turn 90 this year
• Continental to launch new Heathrow flights
• Aer Lingus to launch flights from Gatwick Airport
• British Airways orders 11 new aircraft
• Milestone reached in Birmingham Airport pier project