Nestled near Europe’s rooftop, Finland spent decades leveraging its location to become a popular gateway for Asian travelers. Its flagship airline, Finnair, offered flights from Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai to Helsinki that, by crossing over Russia, were hours shorter than flights to any other European capital. Airport chiefs invested nearly $1 billion in a new terminal with streamlined transfers. There were signs in Japanese, Korean and Chinese, and hot water dispensers for the instant noodle packets favored by Chinese tourists.
Then Russia sent troops across Ukraine’s border on Feb. 24, and overnight the carefully constructed game table was overturned.
Russia closed its airspace to most European carriers in response to bans on Russian planes. What was once a nine-hour flight to Helsinki when routed over Russia’s 3,000-mile expanse would now take 13 hours and as much as 40 percent more fuel because it had to swoop around borders.
Finnair’s competitive advantage as the fastest connection from Asia and a travel hub for Europe vanished in a wisp.
How Finnair’s Huge Bet on Faster Flights to Asia Suddenly Came Undone
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