How would you sum up 2017 for Finnair?
Javier Roig - We're a long way behind the European mega-companies, but we're very satisfied with the results we've achieved thanks to our positioning on the European market. the Europe-Asia axis. We made a record year at 2017 with 11.91 million passengers, an increase of 9,6 % well above the European average. And, if we focus solely on traffic to Asia, we carried 2.1 million passengers, a leap of 18,1 % compared with 2016. With 19 destinations, including many served exclusively from Europe such as Goa, Krabi and Xian, Asia is our second largest market after Europe, representing almost 18 % of all our passenger traffic.
I don't think I've ever seen a quieter plane.
Why is it such a success?
Javier Roig - I think, first and foremost, that our product makes a major contribution to this. Over the last year and a half, we have brought into service a fleet of new long-haul aircraft. Airbus A350 with exceptional comfort. Personally, I don't think I've ever seen an aeroplane so comfortable. silencer. What's more, it gives passengers a sense of space larger, in both business and economy classes, with new seats, wider windows and reconfigured baggage compartments. The Airbus A350 is on all our Asian lineswith the exception of 'leisure' destinations such as Goa and Phuket. There is our Helsinki hubIt's practical, compact and comfortable, with a location that makes it easy to save 60 to 90 minutes flight times to Asia compared with other European hubs. Finally, we are offering Asian passengers more 100 destinations in Europe and half a dozen to the Americas.
What are your plans for expansion in 2018?
Javier Roig - We receive our 12th Airbus A350. This will enable us to increase our frequencies towards BangkokDelhi, Hong Kong, Osaka and Phuketbut only during the winter season. In Europe, we are adding new frequencies to Barcelona, Budapest, Krakow, Geneva and Lisbon. Not forgetting the launch in December 2018 of two weekly flights between Helsinki and Lyon in an Embraer 190. A line we've been hoping for for a long time!
