HELSINKI, Finland – Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, today hosted a capacity crowd press conference at Hotel Kämp in the centre of Helsinki. Following the arrival of the airline’s first flight to the Finnish capital yesterday, H.E. Mr. Al Baker took the opportunity to update the regional and international media on the airline’s plans for the Nordics and beyond.

Qatar Airways is the first Middle Eastern carrier to serve all four Nordic capitals and is committed to bringing more visitors to Helsinki, boosting tourism to Finland and its neighbouring countries. The new route will also give the people of Finland the opportunity to connect to more than 150 destinations on the airline’s global network via its hub, Hamad International Airport, in Doha.

Qatar Airways, already one of the fastest growing airlines in the history of aviation, flies daily to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo and now Helsinki. This will give Finnish passengers the opportunity to travel seamlessly to destinations such as Krabi and the Seychelles, which will launch in December, and Auckland, which will launch on 5 February 2017, with many more new destinations to come.

H.E. Mr. Al Baker said: “Helsinki has long been on our list of destinations to add to our route map and I am proud that we are here today to celebrate this important milestone in the history of our airline. We are here to serve the people of Finland with a world-class service connecting them to business and leisure destinations on our global network. It is also our pleasure to promote Finland and the whole Nordic region to our passengers around the world.”

Finavia President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kari Savolainen, said: “We want to express our warmest welcome to Qatar Airways and its new route between Helsinki and Doha. We welcome tourists from Doha to enjoy Helsinki, a city full of amazing Nordic experiences. At the same time Helsinki Airport is also an excellent gateway to Lapland.

“This year more and more tourists travel via Helsinki to experience the magical North – famous for fresh air, snow and the Northern Lights. Our short transfer times and services located under one roof ensure smooth travelling for all.”

Helsinki – Doha Flight Schedules:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday
Doha (DOH) to Helsinki (HEL) QR303 departs: 01:35 arrives: 08:10
Helsinki (HEL) to Doha (DOH) to QR304 departs: 10:55 arrives: 17:15

Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday
Doha (DOH) to Helsinki (HEL) QR301 departs: 08:15 arrives: 14:50
Helsinki (HEL) to Doha (DOH) QR302 departs: 17:45 arrives 00:05+1