Finnair has unveiled a €200 million cabin renewal of their long-haul Airbus A350 and A330 fleets with a brand new Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class cabins, new littala Kuulas tableware by Harri Koskinen, enhanced onboard service and more.
On Thursday (February 10, 2022), from a press conference in Helsinki, Finnair unveiled a €200 million investment in the ultimate long-haul guest experience. The carrier’s cabin renewal, which will take place over the next two years, covers all Airbus A350s and A330s in the Finnair fleet. The refresh includes a brand new Business Class, an exciting new Premium Economy and updated Economy Class cabins. Finnair’s entire long-haul experience is being renewed, including the carrier’s onboard service concepts, which will be available from spring 2022 on select routes. The routes will be announced on March 1st, 2022, when tickets sales open.
Speaking at this morning’s press conference, Finnair’s CEO, Topi Manner, said,
“Our investment to enhance the long-haul customer experience demonstrates the continuing commitment of the whole Finnair team to deliver a premium experience in every cabin on our aircraft. The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on our industry, but it has not changed our ambition to offer a modern premium experience as we continue to be the first choice for travellers connecting Europe and Asia.”
Also speaking at the event, Finnair’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ole Orvér, said,
“Space is today’s luxury, and we have put a lot of thought and attention to detail into creating the best Business Class seat for our customers. Both the seat and the whole Business Class experience is centered around customer comfort, space, and choice and is the culmination of our design ethos which will appear throughout our long-haul aircraft to redefine modern premium travel. Premium leisure is a trend that has been significantly accelerated during the pandemic, so we are confident our new Premium Economy travel class with its comfortable seats and more space will prove very popular with customers looking for an upgraded experience from Economy.”
Finnair's Reimagined Long-Haul Business Class Cabin - Courtesy Finnair
Finnair’s cabin refresh encapsulates the language of Nordic design, with a warm, dark and comforting color scheme throughout the Business class and Premium Economy cabins, following the palette and design of the carrier’s renewed non-Schengen lounges unveiled at Helsinki Airport in 2019. All cabins feature a stylish new entry area and refreshment bar, creating a striking impression, while creating enhanced service opportunities for cabin crew members. Guests will enjoy a range of dishes served on new chinaware designed by famed Finnish designer Harri Koskinen and littala specifically for Finnair. Additionally, Finnish design house Marimekko has designed a new collection of unique textiles, including a duvet and pillows for Business Class, as well as a neck pillow and a woven blanket for Premium Economy.
Long-haul Economy Class customers will enjoy new seats, larger inflight entertainment (IFE) screens, and an updated user interface onboard the airline’s Airbus A330s and three A350s. Sixteen of Finnair’s A350s will receive new Economy seat covers and an updated IFE user experience, more in line with the designs of the new Business and Premium Economy cabins.
Finnair’s Reimagined Business Class Experience
Finnair is the launch customer for the new Collins Aerospace AirLounge™ seat, which is featured in the new Business Class cabin. The AirLounge seat is inspired by lounge furniture and has been designed to maximize comfort, space and freedom of movement.
Finnair's New Business Class AirLounge Seats by Collins Aerospace - Courtesy Finnair
Commenting on the new AirLounge seats, David Kondo from Finnair’s Customer Experience team said,
“We wanted to rethink business class and create more of a residential environment, emulating the comfort you would expect at home. By doing away with complicated seat mechanisms and using 3D curved shells, we’re able to provide a larger flexible living space. This allows you to move more freely and take up different positions that traditional aircraft seats do not allow.”
Mr. Kondo also led the design work for the new Finnair long-haul experience.
Also speaking on the design collaboration, Collins Aerospace’s Vice President and General Manager of Interiors and Seating, Mark Vaughan, said,
“The collaborative partnership with Finnair enabled the launch of this innovative seat and helped bring a truly unique cabin concept to life. I truly believe that together we have set a new bar for passenger comfort and the travel experience.”
The AirLounge seat ‘cocoon’ includes a customized lamp which doubles as a reading light, along with a do not disturb light if complete privacy is desired. Various storage options are available with spaces for personal items and a laptop, as well as all pillows and blankets. A flexible table can be used to read, dine or work, and each seat comes with impressive connectivity including USB-A, USB-C, PC power and wireless mobile charging. All Finnair long-haul aircraft are equipped with internet connectivity.
Business Class guests will also enjoy a renewed meal and beverage range, including a six-course meal in a modern bistro style, plus another lighter meal. In between meals, customers can enjoy the stunning new refreshment area located at the aircraft’s main entrance.
Finnair’s New Premium Economy Experience
Finnair’s new stylish and spacious Premium Economy Cabin offers a comfortable long-haul seating experience, offering approximately 50 percent more space than Economy Class. The intimate space is situated in its own cabin with a maximum capacity of only 26 guests per aircraft. Finnair is the launch customer for HAECO’s Vector™ Premium seat, which is featured in the carrier’s new Premium Economy cabin. The new seats have been optimized with enhanced ergonomics, memory foam cushions, a deep 8-inch recline, a waterfall leg rest and a 6-way headrest. The seats also include dedicated stowage for laptops and small personal items. Additionally, a large and sturdy single leaf meal tray is available for work and dining, as well as individual reading lights, universal power and USB-A ports. Each seat also features a redesigned IFE system with 13-inch wide screens.
Finnair's New Premium Economy Cabin Experience - Courtesy Finnair
Premium Economy guests will also enjoy two meal services and a selection of beverages throughout their flight, including a three-course meal served on new chinaware designed exclusively for Finnair by top Finnish designer Harri Koskinen and Finnish design icon, littala. The second lighter meal will be served just before landing. Premium Economy customers will also appreciate unique textiles designed by the renowned Finnish design house, Marimekko, including a neck pillow and woven blanket.
Finnair’s Enhanced Economy Class Experience
Finnair customers traveling in Economy Class will experience new lighter seats on the carrier’s A330s as well as on three new A350s, which offer enhanced ergonomics, personal stowage and USB-A & C connectivity, as well as a larger IFE screen with an updated user interface. Finnair’s A350s currently in service will see their Economy cabins receive new seat covers and an updated IFE experience, to bring then in line with the new Business and Economy Plus cabins.
Creating Finnair's Elevated Long-Haul Experience - Courtesy Finnair
New littala Kuulas Tableware by Harri Koskinen
Finnair’s reimagined long-haul experience will be complemented by new littala tableware designed exclusively for Finnair by Harri Koskinen, one of Finland’s best known contemporary designers. Koskinen created the Kuulas collection which will be used in long-haul Business Class and Premium Economy, as well as in short-haul Business Class. The collection includes plates, bowls, cups, tumblers, wine glasses and cutlery.
Commenting on his design collaboration with Finnair, Harri Koskinen, said,
“As a designer I was fascinated by Finnair’s idea for the new flight experience to make the cabin feel like home. Even though the Kuulas tableware is designed for the in-flight environment, the main task was to create authentic, familiar items which would remind the user of home and of tableware used in everyday life. Lasting materials and thoughtful design create a premium experience.”
Finnair's Long-Haul Guests Will Enjoy Unique Textiles From Marimekko - Courtesy Finnair
About Finnair
Specializing in passenger and cargo traffic between Asia and Europe, Finnair is a modern premium network airline with a competitive advantage due to their geographical location. Sustainability is at the heart of everything Finnair does, and the carrier is committed to cutting their net emissions by 50 percent by the end of 2025 (compared to a 2019 baseline) and achieving carbon neutrality by the end of 2045. In 2022, Finnair plans to serve nearly 100 destinations in Europe, Asia and the U.S., with new long-haul routes to Busan (South Korea) and Tokyo-Haneda (Japan), as well as Dallas and Seattle (US). The carrier is also a member of the global oneworld® alliance and its shares are traded on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange.
Source: Finnair