Finnair (AY, Helsinki Vantaa) says its freight subsidiary, Finnair Cargo, has signed an agreement with the International Airlines Group (IAG) to participate in its IAG Cargo Partner Plus Program. Six airlines currently make up the program including Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International), JAL - Japan Airlines (JL, Tokyo Haneda), the Avianca group, and American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth).

“This closer cooperation with IAG Cargo will provide our customers better access to many markets beyond our own network. This is an innovative way to grow reach and one that we believe will prove mutually beneficial to IAG Cargo and ourselves,” Juha Järvinen, Chief Commercial Officer Finnair, said.

Through the Partner Plus, which allows members to interline on each other’s aircraft on a commercially booked basis, Finnair Cargo customers will gain access to markets in South and North America as well as Africa, as the introduction of the IAG network connections offers expanded route availability via its London Heathrow and Madrid Barajas hubs.

For IAG Cargo, the addition of Finnair to the programme will provide additional capacity across the globe - Finnair's strategic destinations in North East Asia in particular.