Finnair and Juneyao Air expand partnership
By Molly Dyson / 15 April 2020 / Contact Reporter
Finnair and Shanghai-based Juneyao Air have signed a letter of intent to "deep their cooperation" through a joint venture between China and Europe.
The aim is to establish a joint venture on the Helsinki-Shanghai route and to enable the two airlines to offer their corporate and leisure customers a wider choice of destination, schedule and fare options via their main hubs at Helsinki and Pudong airports.
Juneyao launched its route from Shanghai to Helsinki in July 2019 and since then has been codesharing with Finnair. The existing agreement also applies to selected routes from Helsinki to Europe and from Shanghai to other destinations in China.
Once implemented, subject to regulatory approval, the joint venture cooperation will allow the airlines to expand their codesharing across both networks, as well as the introduction of enhanced benefits for frequent travellers thanks to a reciprocal agreement for Finnair Plus and Juneyao Air Club members.
Ole Orver, chief commercial officer at Finnair, said: "Despite these immensely challenging times for our industry, we at Finnair remain steadfast in our belief and commitment to China as a key market and to Juneyao Air as a key partner. Over the last year we have built up a close and mutually beneficial partnership with Juneyao Air. Taking the important step to evolve this into a deeper cooperation focused on our Shanghai and Helsinki hubs will allow us to not only serve our current customers even better, but also to lay a platform for further growth in the future, once the aviation market starts to normalise."
Yu Chengji, executive vice president of Juneyao Air, added: "The aviation industry has encountered tough situations. Nevertheless, we consistently and optimistically trust in our emphasised China-Europe market and partnership with Finnair. We have been in comprehensive cooperation with Finnair and have obtained a mutually trustworthy and beneficial partnership with shared visions and values. Expanding the partnership enables us to accelerate further development and to serve passengers better with diversified choices and broadened network coverage."