Finnair to launch new flights to Istanbul

Finland's flag-carrying airline Finnair has announced that it will launch direct flights to Istanbul, Turkey from Helsinki this week.

The first service will depart Helsinki Vantaa Airport at 09:00 local time on March 4th and return from Istanbul in the evening.

To begin with, Finnair will operate two weekly flights to Istanbul on Wednesdays and Saturdays, increasing to four services a week from March 30th, with the additional connections operating on Mondays and Thursdays.

Business class passengers using the service will be able to relax in the airline's Millennium lounge at Istanbul Airport before their departure.

Tomi Hanninen, Finnair's UK sales director, said: "With the introduction of Istanbul, our route network will provide more comprehensive coverage of the whole continent.

"Due to efficient connections, we can offer flights from Turkey via Helsinki to Scandinavia, the Baltic countries and the whole Asian network."

UK travellers can fly to Helsinki from Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport with Finnair to connect to the new flights to Istanbul.

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