Finnair is to offer passengers digital newspapers on its A330 and A350 services, in a move which will also see the carrier stop distributing print newspapers on long-haul flights.
The airline said that over 50 international newspapers are now available to read in pdf format via its Nordic Sky portal, through the wifi connection on its A330 and A350 aircraft.
Note that Finnair’s A350 aircraft also operates on selected services between Helsinki and London, meaning short-haul customers on these flights can avail of the new service.
Passengers can access the portal using their personal devices, and do not need to purchase a wifi package to read the newspapers.
Finnair said that paper copies would continue to be offered on European flights “for the time being”, until its short-haul fleet is equipped with wifi later this year.
Commenting on the news Tiina Vesterinen, Director for Customer Experience Development at Finnair said:
“We are happy to be able to offer a wide selection of digital newspapers to our international customers.
“With digital papers, customers always get the latest copy, regardless of where their flight is departing from, and we never run out of stock.”
A growing number of carriers are now offering passengers access to digital newspapers, reducing distribution and fuel costs and allowing customers to choose from a far wider selection than would be possible in print form.
Lufthansa allows all of its passengers to download a selection of newspapers and magazines before and after their flight. The number of titles which can be downloaded for free depends on the class of travel and status within the Miles and More programme.
