newstodate.aero
Aug 21, 2015 (newstodate): Finnair's decision to open flights to its coming second destination in Denmark, Billund Airport, may open up for a future focus on air cargo as well.
The carrier will start flights on the route between Helsinki and Billund from April 4, 2015, offering a daily rotation with Embraer 170 and 190 aircraft offering limited cargo capacity.
But the Danish airfreight market has always proved a challenge to Finnair Cargo, Juha Jarvinen, now Finnair CCO and then Finnair Cargo Mng Dir, told newstodate in March 2014.
Returning to the issue on June 30, 2015, Mr Jarvinen easily admitted that Denmark remains a challenge without an immediate solution.
-We certainly have cargo customers in Denmark, such as prestigious companies like Bang & Olufsen, but we are still far from having achieved our ambitions in the market.
-While we are still seeking alternative models, we do not exclude that other airports than Copenhagen Airport could be brought into play. We are for instance well aware that most of the Danish exporting industries are located, not in the capital area but in the western part of Denmark, served by Billund Airport.
-If Finnair traffic was established here with aircraft suitable to carry also cargo, the situation would improve. But it should of course still make sense both in the cargo and passenger segments, said Mr Jarvinen.
And now Finnair has at least decided to launch a passenger service to Billund, opening up for future developments.
The carrier will start flights on the route between Helsinki and Billund from April 4, 2015, offering a daily rotation with Embraer 170 and 190 aircraft offering limited cargo capacity.
But the Danish airfreight market has always proved a challenge to Finnair Cargo, Juha Jarvinen, now Finnair CCO and then Finnair Cargo Mng Dir, told newstodate in March 2014.
Returning to the issue on June 30, 2015, Mr Jarvinen easily admitted that Denmark remains a challenge without an immediate solution.
-We certainly have cargo customers in Denmark, such as prestigious companies like Bang & Olufsen, but we are still far from having achieved our ambitions in the market.
-While we are still seeking alternative models, we do not exclude that other airports than Copenhagen Airport could be brought into play. We are for instance well aware that most of the Danish exporting industries are located, not in the capital area but in the western part of Denmark, served by Billund Airport.
-If Finnair traffic was established here with aircraft suitable to carry also cargo, the situation would improve. But it should of course still make sense both in the cargo and passenger segments, said Mr Jarvinen.
And now Finnair has at least decided to launch a passenger service to Billund, opening up for future developments.