Finnair will deploy aircraft with full-flat seats in business class on flights across several Asian routes from next month.
The initiative is part of a €29 million (US$40 million) retrofit programme that will see most of its wide-body fleet of Airbus A330s and A340s being fitted with the new seats.
From April 1, selected aircraft flying from Helsinki to Tokyo will sport the full-flat seats, and this will be extended to Beijing and Seoul from May 1. The full-flat allocation will find its way onto flights to Hanoi, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka and Shanghai from June 1.
The new seats are already in use on four of the airline’s A330s, and come with individual reading light, adjustable headrest and a range of in-flight entertainment options. When fully flat, the length of the seat extends up to 79 inches (200cm), with shoulder room measuring 23 inches (58cm).
Finnair will retrofit all but three of its oldest long-haul Airbus fleet with the new seats. The three aircraft will continue to serve flights until the arrival of the next-generation Airbus A350 XWBs, which are expected to start arriving in 2015.
For more information, visit www.finnair.com
Clement Huang
