Two new Finnair planes for leisure traffic

Finnair has signed a contract with the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) of America, a company specializing in aircraft leasing, for the lease of two new Boeing 757 aircraft. These B757 planes will enter leisure service with Finnair in March - April 2002. They will replace one wide bodied MD-11 aeroplane currently in leisure service, which will transfer to Finnair's long haul traffic from the beginning of November this year.

Finnair already had five B757s in service with its leisure traffic. The contract just signed brings unity to Finnair's leisure aircraft by creating a fleet of seven B757s. This will increase the level of coherence and

flexibility in the use of aircraft and crew.

"According to a study of Boeing aircraft factory's corporate customers, the

daily utilisation rate by the Finnair fleet is among the highest in the

world," says Aimo Hautanen, director of Finnair Leisure Flights.

Overall capacity of the Leisure fleet will increase slightly, because the

406-seat MD-11 aeroplane will be replaced by two 227-seat Boeing 757s. The

number of seats for this type of aircraft in service with many European

leisure flight companies is 235.

"The new planes will allow us to target our capacity better," says Mr

Hautanen. "Particularly during the summer months, when there is demand for a

greater number of destinations, it is difficult to find individual

destinations for which we might need 400-seat aircraft," he added.