Sichuan Airlines opens direct flight from Chengdu to Helsinki

An Airbus 330 with 278 passengers on board landed at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport on Monday, opening a new flight route from Chengdu to Helsinki operated by Sichuan Airlines.

It has been the third Chinese airlines that opens its new flight to Helsinki this summer. Previously, Tibet Airlines started flying to Helsinki from Jinan in April, and Juneyao Air made its debut in June.

"This has been a very special year for Helsinki airport, since three Chinese airlines have started their routes," said Petri Vuori, Vice President of Finavia, or the Finnish Airport Operator.

Responsible for sales and route development, Vuori said "it is not very normal to have so many airlines from one country starting in a year", as it usually requires many years of work to start a new route.

The latest route from Chengdu, western China, to Helsinki, with two flights a week, has been developed on the basis of an original Chengdu-Copenhagen route. Sichuan Airlines has added Helsinki as a stopover point to materialize the new route that connects Chengdu with two Nordic destinations.

So far, Sichuan Airlines runs more than 50 international flights.