newstodate.aero

Aug 31, 2022 (newstodate): Little additional information has emerged after yesterday's announcement of a new cooperation between Qatar Airways and Finnair.
   oneworld partners Finnair and Qatar Airways have entered "a long-term strategic cooperation" on flights between Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen and Doha, Qatar.
   Under the agreement, Finnair will be operating seven weekly code-shared flights with Airbus A330-300 aircraft to Doha from Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki, offering connections to Qatar Airways' global network via Doha Airport.
   The two airlines have indicated that they are also exploring opening services between another, undisclosed European destination and Doha.
   Finnair will not, however, set up a new base at Doha.
   -There will not be a Doha base, but pilots will fly to Doha from Helsinki or transfer on Finnair flights to Copenhagen and Stockholm and fly from there. Cabin service on these flights is to be provided by a trusted partner with possible local crew in the Nordic countries, says Suvi Aaltonen, Finnair Communications manager.
   The coming new cooperation, taking effect from November/December 2022, is opening a new revenue stream for Finnair and potentials for keeping its long haul aircraft fleet and pilot crews in the air while its former core traffic between Europe and Asia has come to a halt due to the closure of Russian airspace.
   The cooperation with Qatar Airways that is not a JV will be expanded further with Finnair taking on its new role as a capacity provider to Qatar Airways, feeding traffic into its route network, partly compensating for its loss of own direct Asian flights.
   At the same time, Finnair is closing the short-lived revenue stream opened in December 2021 with the launch of long haul services from Stockholm Arlanda to New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Bangkok and Phuket.