Melbourne Now Has a Direct Line to Helsinki, With One Catch

Finnair began flying between Helsinki and Melbourne on October 26, giving the Finnish carrier its first-ever Australian destination. The service runs daily all year on an Airbus A350, which means Melbourne can now reach northern Europe on a single ticket without changing planes in the Gulf.

The catch is a stop in Bangkok. Southbound, the flight leaves Helsinki shortly after midnight and reaches Melbourne at about 7:15 a.m. the next morning. Northbound, it departs Melbourne at 3:40 p.m., touches down in Bangkok around 8:50 p.m. and lands in Helsinki at 6:05 a.m. the following day. Passengers stay on the same aircraft in Bangkok but must step off briefly while it is readied for the next leg, and travelers can also book Melbourne to Bangkok on its own.

Melbourne Airport says the route makes the city the only Australian gateway served by an EU airline, and it puts the value of an average daily international flight to the Victorian economy at roughly A$190 million. Finnair connects onward from Helsinki to around 90 destinations, including Lapland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland, and as a Oneworld member it lets Qantas Frequent Flyer points be used on eligible reward seats.

Finnair executive Pasi Kuusisto said Australians are increasingly choosing to reach Europe through Asian hubs rather than the Middle East, as the conflict involving Iran continues to complicate Gulf routings. Business class on the A350 uses the AirLounge seat, a fixed shell that converts to a lie-flat bed with a mattress pad rather than reclining in the usual way.

Sources: Aviation A2Z, Finnair