Finnair (AY, Helsinki Vantaa) will take delivery of its first A350-900 during the second half of the year ahead of the type's deployment onto flights to Shanghai Pudong, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, and Beijing Capital from October onwards. Thereafter, A350 flights to Hong Kong International and Singapore Changi are set to roll out later next year.
Routes Online reports the date, however, is subject to Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) meeting its final delivery schedule which should see four A350s arriving during the second half of the year followed by seven in 2016/17 while the remaining eight will be delivered between 2018 and 2023.
As the European launch customer of the type, Finnair will initially deploy the A350 onto regional routes to aid in crew familiarization beginning August 16.
