Finnair suspends some Japan services through winter 2022 amid Russia airspace block

Finnair’s winter 2022 flight schedule reflects expectations that the block on EU-based carriers overlying Russia could endure for some time, as it continues to suspend services to several destinations in Japan. The Helsinki-based airline is particularly exposed to restrictions on overflying Russia for geographic and strategic reasons – in the latter case given its historical focus on connecting Asia with Europe. Outlining its plan for winter 2022 on 19 April, the Oneworld carrier noted that it still expects to serve 10 destinations in Asia, five in the USA and 63 across Europe, with chief commercial officer Ole Orver saying that travel is “recovering at a rapid pace” as the pandemic recedes. Flights from Helsinki to Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Osaka and Sapporo are, however, still suspended for the winter season, “due to the continued closure of Russian airspace”. Announcing its summer 2022 schedule in November 2021, Finnair had cited Japan as its major focus in Asia amid China’s Covid-related restrictions on international arrivals, describing the former as its ”single largest market outside our home market Finland”. <br/>