Lucky Air to launch Helsinki and St Petersburg flights

Chinese carrier Lucky Air plans to add new European long-haul services to St Petersburg and Helsinki, the next stage in its development after making its intercontinental bow this summer. The HNA Group carrier launched its first intercontinental service to Moscow in June and has now detailed plans to serve Pulkovo airport in the northern Russian city from Chengdu and Kunming. Services to both will be at least twice-weekly, Lucky says, and will begin this winter season. The announcement was marked by a signing ceremony at World Routes in Barcelona today. “China remains one of the fastest-growing flight directions for Pulkovo airport,” says Evgeniy Iliyn, chief commercial officer at Pulkovo St Petersburg. “Chengdu and Kunming are in the list of strategic routes for the St Petersburg airport and will become the fourth and fifth [Chinese mainland] destinations with direct scheduled service from the northern capital of Russia.”<br/>