Finnair will begin operating aircraft with fully-flat business class seats to Tokyo and New York from April 1, and to Beijing and Seoul from May 1, it was announced today.
The carrier began the 29 million euro (£24.2 million) upgrade of its business seating across most of its wide-body fleet of A330 and A340 aircraft in January (see news, December 6).
From June 1, Finnair will rollout its fully-flat business class onto flights to Hanoi, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka and Shanghai.
Every long-haul jet in the airline's fleet is having its business cabin renovated, with the exception of three older aircraft which will be the first to be replaced when Finnair receives a consignment of 11 A350 XWBs in 2015.
The Zodiac Seats UK Vantage model seats are already in use on the airline's four newest Airbus A330s.
They are designed to provide a fully-flat bed of up to 79 inches (200 cms), while shoulder room measures 23 inches (58 cm).
The fully adjustable seats also come with an individual reading light, adjustable head rest, mood lights and a range of inflight entertainment options.
Allister Paterson, Finnair’s chief commercial officer, said: "We believe that full-flat seats are the new quality standard for long-haul business travel.
"A promise of comfort and quality to key business destinations will help make Finnair a very compelling option in business travel, particularly between Europe and Asia."
Finnair currently operates 15 A330 and A340 aircraft in its wide-body fleet, serving 15 long-haul destinations in Asia and North America.
A further 11 A350 XWBs (with an option for eight more) are due to arrive beginning in 2015, which will help the airline double its revenue from Asian destinations by 2020.
Graham Smith
