Helsinki and Carlsbad, CA | September 1, 2016– Finnair has signed an agreement with ViaSat Inc., (NASDAQ: VSAT) a global broadband services and technology company, to install a high-speed wireless internet network on its entire Airbus A320 series short-haul fleet flying in Europe. The installation of the Wi-Fi equipment will begin in May 2017, and will be completed by June 2018.

With a connection speed of 12 Mbps or higher per passenger, the new system will offer the fastest in-flight internet connection currently available on the market, which will also enable the use of increasingly popular video streaming services. ViaSat will ensure end-to-end in-flight connectivity service across the Finnair fleet, and has partnered with Eutelsat to deliver the high-speed satellite-based internet service, which will cover the entire European continent.

“Our customers increasingly value the possibility of being connected during their flights and this change will also create great opportunities for Finnair to further develop its in-flight portal that will serve customers with news, entertainment and great shopping opportunities on their portable devices,” says Piia Karhu, SVP, Customer Experience Development at Finnair. “We are very pleased to partner with ViaSat on this project as we will be able to offer our customers the best possible Wi-Fi offering available on the market today, and that has the ability to scale, once the installations are completed.”

“Finnair is a forward-looking airline that is recognized worldwide for customer service,” says Don Buchman, vice president and general manager, Commercial Mobility at ViaSat. “With the ViaSat in-flight Wi-Fi system, enabled across Europe by Eutelsat’s service, Finnair can deliver greater value to its customers by giving them the freedom to use their own device to engage with the internet in new ways – from enhanced online shopping to out-of-the-box online entertainment experiences.”

Last July, Finnair announced that its entire long-haul fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft would be retrofitted with Wi-Fi connectivity by May 2017. Finnair is currently operating six A350-XWB aircraft which already offer wireless connectivity for its passengers. The airline is expected to receive an additional five A350 aircraft by the end of next year. With both the long-haul and short-haul fleet set to offer internet connectivity by June 2018, over a thousand route pairs in Finnair’s network will offer Wi-Fi connectivity for transiting passengers. Additionally, Finnair’s Wi-Fi coverage over Chinese airspace has recently been opened, having been closed previously due to limitations by the authorities.

Finnair’s wireless internet access is free for Business class passengers, Finnair Plus Gold and Platinum customers, and oneworld Sapphire and Emerald level customers. Economy class passengers can purchase internet access at an hourly rate or for the duration of the flight.

Lake Forest, CA and Finland | July 11, 2016– Last year Finnair announced it would launch a wireless network connection for the majority of its wide and narrow-body aircraft.

The first wireless services were taken into use on Finnair aircraft at the end of last year onboard the new Airbus A350 XWB aircraft. Finnair will begin the installation of Wi-Fi on its long-haul Airbus A330 aircraft in October this year, and the installation is estimated to be ready in May 2017.

“In May 2017, our customers will be able to enjoy wireless network connection onboard all of our long-haul fleet. In addition to Internet access, we will have a broad offering of inflight entertainment, shopping opportunities, real-time news content and other additional services in Finnair’s free of charge Nordic Sky portal,” says Piia Karhu, SVP, Customer Experience Development.

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic), which already supplies the connection for the A350 fleet, has been chosen as the supplier of the wireless connection on Airbus A330 aircraft. The connection will be achieved by Ku band satellite technology, which guarantees a working global network connection during a flight.

Wireless Internet access is free to Business class passengers, Finnair Plus Gold and Platinum customers, and oneworld Sapphire and Emerald level customers. Economy class passengers can purchase Internet access at an hourly rate (5 euro/hour) or for the duration of the flight (15 euro).

• Long-standing partnership expanded as Finnish airline introduces NetLine/Ops ++ operations control solution

Kelsterbach, Germany | August 26, 2015– Lufthansa Systems today announced that the Finnish airline Finnair has opted for its NetLine/Ops ++ operations control solution. This innovative IT solution from Lufthansa Systems will enable Finnair to make its flight operations more efficient and lower its costs. The two companies recently signed a five-year contract which further expands their long-standing cooperation.

Punctuality is very important to flight operations. This is why it is essential for airlines to manage schedule changes – both planned and unplanned – in a way that minimizes their effect on passengers. In the event of disruptions such as delays and cancellations, NetLine/Ops ++ will put Finnair in a position to significantly lower the costs arising from positioning flights or hotel rooms for passengers, for example. The IT solution offers unique features for Management by Exception. This means that while other solutions display all of an airline’s flights, NetLine/Ops ++ only shows ones that have encountered “problems” and need a decision to be made. The solution’s functionalities facilitate information management, enable a higher degree of automation and provide better decision-making support, thus supporting improvements in on time performance.

“Punctuality and reliability are crucial for Finnair, as the majority of our passengers are transfer passengers. NetLine/Ops ++ is one part of our continuous drive to ensure world class operations,“ says Janne Tarvainen, Head of Operations Control Center, Finnair. “The long term cooperation we have had with Lufthansa Systems supports this target, and the work we do every day to ensure operational excellence.”

Lufthansa Systems has been supplying Finnair with IT solutions since 1997. The airline relies on the expertise of the aviation IT specialist in the areas of flight planning, codeshare management and revenue accounting, among others. “By opting for NetLine/Ops ++, Finnair is now nearly using the full range of solutions from our NetLine product line,” said Søren Reinholdt Key Account Manager at Lufthansa Systems. “We are very proud that we can support Finnair on so many levels with our products and services.”

Finnair is a network airline specialising in passenger and cargo traffic between Asia and Europe. The geographical location of Helsinki provides Finnair with a structural competitive advantage, since the fastest connections between many European destinations and Asian megacities fly over Finland. Finnair’s vision is to offer its passengers a unique Nordic experience, and its strategic objectives are to double its Asian traffic by 2020 from the 2010 level, to deliver a unique customer experience and achieve world-class operations, and to create shareholder value. Finnair is a member of the oneworld alliance.

Finland | March 19, 2013– Finnair’s customers soon will be the first airline passengers in the world to have the opportunity to try the Windows 8-powered HP ElitePad 900 tablets as in-flight entertainment.

Tomorrow, on 20th March, Finnair will begin a two-month trial of the tablets and wireless internet service on board one of its Airbus A330 wide body aircraft. The plane, with the registration OH-LTT, will be used on both scheduled and charter flights.

“We want to enhance our customers’ in-flight comfort,” says Peter Gabrielsson, Vice President Customer Experience, Finnair. “We want to test the functionality of the wireless network on intercontinental flights and how the passengers use the equipment during the flight. We are interested in learning how the use is divided between the fixed in-flight entertainment system and the tablet.”

“Microsoft and Finnair had a unique opportunity to re-imagine what in-flight entertainment means to our customers. Windows 8, with its revolutionary touch-optimized user interface and rapid application development, allowed Microsoft to quickly develop a visually stunning entertainment system and deliver a first-class experience to thousands of Finnair passengers”, says Riitta Eiskonen, Services Lead, Microsoft Finland.

“To offer a unique in-flight entertainment experience to its customers, HP provides Finnair an enterprise-grade ElitePad tablet that combines the great style and user experience consumers demand with the features IT requires,” said Ari Koskinen, Director and General Manager, Printing and Personal Systems, HP Finland. “The HP ElitePad is a powerful and stylish business tablet for an optimal in-flight customer experience.”

The test will take place in Business Class on scheduled flights and in Comfort Class on charter flights. Passengers willing to participate in the test are offered an HP ElitePad tablet, which includes movies, TV shows, music and games. Additionally, the tablet includes wellness-related programs, such as a relaxation app to cope with time difference. Passengers will be asked to participate in a survey, and the information obtained will be used to develop Finnair’s in-flight entertainment service concept.

Finnair’s partners in this test also include Nordkapp, which is responsible for the visual design of the tablet’s user interface. OnAir provides satellite communications and the onboard Wi-Fi service (Internet OnAir) and Spafax the audio and video content.