Finnair to launch Chicago service

Finnair will launch a thrice-weekly service to Chicago next summer. The airline will operate an A330 on the route, which will run on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from June 13 until October 17. Flights will depart Helsinki at 1725 and arrive at Chicago O'Hare International airport at 1840 local time. Return flights take-off from Chicago at 2200 and land in Helsinki at 1450 the following day. The new route is part of Finnair's joint transatlantic venture with British Airways, Iberia, American Airlines and the latter's merger partner US Airways (see news, March 2013). As Chicago O'Hare is an American Airlines hub, Finnair passengers will be able to make codeshare connections to destinations within the US. Petri Vuori, Finnair's vice president of global sales, said: "Finnair's timetable allows for easy connections to Chicago from throughout our extensive network in Europe and even Asia. "Chicago, as a hub of our Oneworld partner American Airlines, also offers excellent onward connections in America." In September, Finnair signed a codeshare agreement with Flybe (see news, September 11). finnair.com Graham Smith