Finnair (AY, Helsinki Vantaa) has confirmed it will complete the retirement of its A340-300 fleet by the end of next year. Of its original seven-strong fleet, Finnair now operates three on regular flights to Delhi International, Nagoya Chubu, Osaka Kansai, and Singapore Changi. Once their service life is completed, the aircraft will be sold back to Airbus.

In an Investors' prospectus, Finnair said despite the loss of the three aircraft, it would continue to grow its longhaul fleet by retaining two of its eight A330-300s in service beyond their original retirement date of 2017. However, the fate of two A330s, destined to leave the fleet in 2020-21, has yet to be determined.

The A330s will add to the Finnish carrier's growing widebody fleet which, by the end of next year, will entail nineteen aircraft split between the A330 and the new incoming A350-900s.

Finnair has a total of nineteen A350s on order from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac), five of which have now been delivered. Of the remaining fourteen, two more will arrive this year followed by four more in 2017. All nineteen are expected to be in place by the end of 2023.