Finnair has revealed its intention to commence scheduled flights to Australia, which certainly wasn’t on my new airline route bingo card!
Finnair to initiate flights to Melbourne, Australia
Starting October 26, 2026, Finnair plans to offer daily, year-round flights to Australia. In particular, the airline will operate from Helsinki (HEL) to Melbourne (MEL) via Bangkok (BKK). The timetable will be as follows:
AY145 Helsinki to Bangkok departs 12:10AM arrives 4:30PM
AY145 Bangkok to Melbourne departs 6:15PM arrives 7:15AM (+1 day)
AY146 Melbourne to Bangkok departs 3:35PM arrives 8:45PM
AY146 Bangkok to Helsinki departs 10:30PM arrives 6:05AM (+1 day)
The distance between Helsinki and Bangkok is 4,916 miles, with a block time of 11hr20min eastbound and 12hr35min westbound. The segment to Australia covers 4,546 miles, blocked at 9hr to Australia and 9hr10min to Thailand.
Finnair plans to utilize an Airbus A350-900 for this route, featuring 278 seats, which comprises 43 business class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 211 economy seats.
Passengers can book each segment separately, indicating that Finnair possesses fifth freedom rights between Bangkok and Melbourne. The airline already operates flights between Helsinki and Bangkok, making this route a significant capacity increase between those markets (as an extra frequency is being added), along with introducing an entirely new route.
Here’s how Christine Rovelli, Finnair’s Chief Revenue Officer, characterizes the new route:
“We are thrilled to unveil service to a new continent. By linking Helsinki and Melbourne, two cities on opposite sides of the globe, we provide a truly unique connection between the northern and southern hemispheres. We anticipate that this new route will attract travelers from Europe journeying to Australia, as well as Australians exploring northern Europe and beyond.”
My perspective on Finnair’s flights to Australia
I find it somewhat unexpected that Finnair is initiating flights to Australia in this manner. The market connecting Europe and Australia is extremely competitive:
- Qantas operates nonstop flights between Australia and Europe, alongside fifth freedom flights via Singapore
- Nearly all Middle Eastern and Asian carriers are contenders in transporting passengers between Europe and Australia, with comparable efficiency and flight durations to these “direct” services
- The only European carrier providing such a flight to Australia is British Airways, which routes via Singapore; Turkish Airlines also services Australia via Asia, and can be considered a European carrier
Nevertheless, I assume that Finnair has concluded this is the optimal way to allocate an aircraft. However, I also have reservations about the profitability of this route, anticipating the airline will have to compete primarily on price. Finnair lacks a substantial competitive edge in this context and faces stiff competition from several well-established airlines.
While it’s not impossible to fill planes in these markets, I envision fares needing to be significantly low to compete, which is not ideal for a flight of this length.
It’s also important to note that Finnair is a member of the oneworld alliance, providing some connectivity with Qantas in Australia. Nonetheless, the two airlines don’t have a joint venture and will be operating as rivals.
Final thoughts
As of late October 2026, Finnair will start a route from Helsinki to Bangkok and onto Melbourne, using an Airbus A350. This will enhance capacity between Helsinki and Bangkok, and also introduce a new fifth freedom service between Asia and Australia. I’m eager to see how this route develops…
What are your thoughts on Finnair’s new Melbourne route?