Finnair to recruit 70 new digital professionals and leverage digitalization in future customer experience development

Finnair will speed up its digital transformation and hire approximately 70 software developers, project managers, service designers and other digital professionals into its new digital team. The new recruitment drive will strengthen the airline's capability to improve processes and enhance the customer experience with digital solutions.

Taking advantage of the opportunities provided by digitalisation is the next step in Finnair's accelerated growth strategy.

"Mobile applications and applying data will be increasingly visible in the work of Finnair employees across the organisation. We are taking the first mobile apps into use in our aircraft maintenance in the beginning of next year," says Katri Harra-Salonen, Finnair's Chief Digital Officer. "We are also seeking new business opportunities enabled by the digital development, and we will invest in innovation at Finnair."

Finnair's mobile app recently received the coveted Red Dot award, and Finnair's Nordic Sky Wi-Fi portal was awarded as the industry's best in-flight connectivity solution by APEX. Finnair's digital team will also develop solutions for internal use, and utilize IBM's iOS Enterprise solutions.

"Working in our digital team is an opportunity to create something new in the fascinating and continuously evolving airline environment and for over 10 million of our international customers. Service development is strongly based on open and agile development culture across the organisation, to get the products and solutions faster to the market. This is a unique working environment in Finland, and our aim is to build the best agile team in the Nordic countries," Harra-Salonen says.

Finnair's entire long-haul fleet will be Wi-Fi enabled in the spring of 2017, while Wi-Fi installations for the short-haul European fleet will start gradually as of next spring. Wi-Fi connectivity on board will also bring new opportunities to develop the in-flight customer experience such as enhancing shopping and retail opportunities.

Finnair is targeting accelerated growth and has already recruited approximately 800 new employees this year, the majority of which are cabin crew personnel and pilots. Finnair's fleet will grow in 2017 with new A350 and A321 aircraft. In 2016, Finnair opened new routes to China, Japan and Europe, and the airline’s network will continue to grow in 2017.

Open positions for digital professionals can be found at finnair.com/digijobs

Further information:
Finnair Media Desk, +358 9 818 4020, comms(a)finnair.com 
www.finnair.com, www.finnairgroup.com
www.twitter.com/Finnair
www.facebook.com/finnair
www.instagram.com/feelfinnair
www.youtube.com/finnair
Images: gallery.finnair.com  
Finnair blog: blogs.finnair.com

About Finnair
Finnair flies between Asia, Europe and North America with an emphasis on fast connections via Helsinki, carrying more than ten million passengers annually and connecting 17 cities in Asia with more than 60 destinations in Europe. The airline, a pioneer in sustainable flying, is the European launch customer of the next-generation, eco-smart Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and is the first airline listed in the Leadership Index of the worldwide Carbon Disclosure Project. The only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking, Finnair has also won the World Airline Award for Best Airline Northern Europe for the past seven years running. Finnair is a member of oneworld, the alliance of the world's leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers.