Daily A350 Service Gives UAE Its Only Year-Round Non-Stop Connection to Finland.
Dubai: Emirates operated its inaugural flight from Dubai to Helsinki on October 1, establishing what the airline says is the only year-round non-stop air connection between the UAE and Finland.
Flight EK167 departed Dubai at 7.30am with a near-full passenger and cargo load. The inaugural service also carried a VIP delegation and members of the media.
The new route will operate daily using an Airbus A350, configured to accommodate 298 passengers across Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class.
To mark the Finnish connection, Emirates will also offer locally inspired dishes on board, including juniper-marinated salmon, seared venison and lingonberry cheesecake.
The new Dubai-Helsinki service has been scheduled to provide convenient connections through Dubai to destinations across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Africa, the Middle East and Australasia.
Through Emirates’ wider network, passengers travelling from Helsinki will be able to connect to nearly 140 destinations, including major cities across Australia, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The route will also support cargo movement between Finland, the UAE and international markets. Each Helsinki service will offer up to 16 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity through Emirates SkyCargo, providing additional opportunities for trade in both directions via the airline’s Dubai hub.
The inaugural flight carried government officials and representatives from both the UAE and Finland, including His Excellency Mohamed Rashid bin Taliah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Government Knowledge Exchange.
Delegates representing key areas of UAE-Finland cooperation, including cybersecurity, digital transformation, energy, trade and education, were also on board.
On board flight EK167
Finland was represented on the inaugural service by Ambassador Tuula Yrjölä, who covers the UAE and Bahrain, alongside Jorge Fernández Gates, Senior Advisor at the Embassy of Finland in Abu Dhabi. Samuli Pesu, Chairman of the Finnish Business Council UAE, also joined the flight.
UAE aviation and immigration officials travelling on the service included Omar bin Ghaleb, Deputy Director General of the General Civil Aviation Authority, and Lieutenant Colonel Juma Abdulla Obaid Bin Subaih Alflasi, Acting Director of Passport Control at Terminal 3 for the General Directorate for Identity and Foreigners Affairs.
The Emirates delegation was led by Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, alongside Jeffrey Van Heaften, Senior Vice President of Cargo Commercial Worldwide at Emirates SkyCargo.
