Changi Returnee - Finnair

[KC Sim 2]

Of the many airlines that have abandoned Singapore Changi Airport, we are now able to at least count one major airline returning. Finnair - which at the time it abandoned Changi Airport operated four times weekly via Bangkok - has announced its return to Singapore starting May 2011. And to top it off, it will be operating daily nonstop flights between Helsinki and Singapore.

 

Finally, the airline has its mathematics done correctly. Previously when it was operating with a stop in Bangkok, its has to mix leisure low-yield traffic going to Bangkok with higher yield business traffic to Singapore. The latter lost out because business travellers tend to book later than leisure travellers who often book months in advance. As a result, Finnair had to depend on selling low-fare tickets on the Bangkok - Singapore - Bangkok sectors.

 

Now it has finally awakened to this fact and has resolved to not make the same mistake and went one step further to increase frequency from four times weekly to daily! Interesting to note that even with SAS and Finnair withdrawing from serving Northern Europe to Singapore, traffic between the two grew 8 percent in the period from April 2009 to April 2010.

 

Now to await news on the aircraft type to be used on this route - whether it will be A340-300 or A330. Either way, we can expect to see from time to time the oneworld aircraft and perhaps the seasonal Santa Claus.

 

At the ITB'2009 in March 2009 in Berlin, Finnair announced that it was considering returning to SIN . . . it sure took a long time to decide but I am happy - No, actually I am thrilled to bits - that it has taken the decision to return to Singapore.

 

KC Sim

[Pieter C. 5]

Great news !!!

 

No only you are thrilled, I bet Cornelis will be thrilled as well !!!

 

(enabling you one more destination to take for going to whatever 6th Anniversary city it will be).

[Sri Ramani K. 0]

more reasons to go down to SIN again for spotting! anyways KC, any final dates on when their first flight begins?

[Prompong J. 0]

Better chance if you head to north for BKK

[Pieter C. 5]

Better chance if you head to north for BKK

 

Did you vote in the poll already ?

[Pieter C. 5]

Now to await news on the aircraft type to be used on this route - whether it will be A340-300 or A330. Either way, we can expect to see from time to time the oneworld aircraft and perhaps the seasonal Santa Claus.

KC Sim

 

As per Finnair FB page:

 

Finnair will operate the Singapore service with Airbus A340 aircraft. The new

route will be opened on 30 May 2011.

[Cornelis Boersma 0]

No we probably really can scrap KUL from the AY list

Still got the come back to SIN

[KC Sim 2]

A little more than 12 hours after I got news of this, I am still thrilled.

 

As they often warned us about going to HEL if we SIN, Finnair's services to Changi meant that they can tell Singapore travellers to go to HEL for having SINned. I particularly like the arrival time of 1605hrs in Singapore as it meant that we can photograph it nicely in good light. In all likelihood, it will actually arrive earlier than this as the long nonstop flight through largely uncrowded skies often allows Finnair to make good time on its Asian flights. Looking forward to yet another oneworld liveried aircraft and the joy of catching Finnair's planes with those seasonal Santa Clause stickers. Hopefully it even applies some "Glad to be back in SIN" stickers when it relaunches flights.

 

When Finnair withdrew from SIN in May 2007, it also decided to nip plans already announced for flights to Kuala Lumpur. I recall that prior to that, Finnair had ironically organised familiarisation trips for Singapore and Malaysian for the first time to Finland and these were keen to launch various packages. Now Finnair will have to regain the confidence of these disappointed travel agents. Lets wait and see if Finnair will revisit its plans for KUL - perhaps as an extension of its BKK flights.

 

KC Sim

[Cornelis Boersma 0]

Hopefully they will repaint some Airbusses with Santa stickers again, but we didnt had them the last 2 winter seasons (to expensive to apply)

[Waiping 12]

SIN and go to HEL.