Skytrax: Finnair’s reign as Northern Europe's Best Airline continues for fifth straight year
Finnair has been named Northern Europe’s Best Airline at the World Airline Awards, repeating the honour for the fifth straight time since 2010. The awards, organised by Skytrax and held this year at the Farnborough Air Show, are based on an independent survey of some 18 million travellers from more than 160 countries. Also oneworld® alliance, to which Finnair belongs, has been named the World’s Best Airline Alliance for the second year running.
“We recognise how tough the competition can be, not only in our home region but in the numerous Asian markets we serve as well,” says Gregory Kaldahl, Finnair’s SVP Resource Management, who was on hand at Farnborough to collect the award. “It is very gratifying to receive this kind of recognition for our employees’ commitment to the needs of customers and the continued development of our product both on the ground and in the air.”
Finnair has nearly completed its program, begun late last year, to equip its long-haul fleet with seats that convert to fully flat beds in Business Class. Nine routes are currently dedicated to full-flat service: New York, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Seoul and Hanoi. Meanwhile inflight entertainment was also recently upgraded for passengers in both cabin classes, with 72 movies and more than 150 TV shows available on demand, while custom Marimekko for Finnair tableware, textiles and other cabin amenities are provided in both cabins.
In August, Finnair will open a new Premium Lounge in Helsinki for its most loyal Finnair Plus and oneworld customers. In addition, the carrier will add a new sauna available to be enjoyed by all Business Class passengers. Finnair is also making preparations as the European launch customer of the next-generation Airbus A350, which will begin arriving in the long-haul fleet in the second half of 2015 and take passenger comfort and environmental performance to the next level.
Finnair remains the only airline in the Nordic countries with a four-star Skytrax rating.
About the World Airline Awards
The World Airline Awards are regarded as the primary benchmarking tool for passenger satisfaction levels of airlines throughout the world. The passenger survey analyses customer satisfaction for the overall airline passenger experience, at both the airport and on board the aircraft: check-in to boarding, seat comfort, cabin cleanliness, food, beverages, in-flight entertainment and staff service. The survey covered more than 200 airlines, from the largest international airlines to small domestic carriers, and measured standards across more than 40 areas of airline front-line product and service. The transparency and global coverage of the survey distinguish the World Airline Awards as the most prestigious and respected awards in the airline industry.
Further information:
Finnair Media Desk, 358 9 818 4020, comms(a)finnair.com
Finnair Gallery: http://gallery.finnair.com
Finnair on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Twitter
Finnair blogs: http://blogs.finnair.com
Finnair on Facebook: www.facebook.com/finnair
Finnair Group website: www.finnairgroup.com
About Finnair
Finnair is specialised in fast connections between Europe and Asia via Helsinki. The airline carries more than eight million passengers annually and connects 13 cities in Asia with more than 60 destinations in Europe. The airline, a pioneer in sustainable flying, operates a young, modern fleet 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 five 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.