AY ceases MD 11 operations

Legendary Boeing MD-11 bids farewell to Finnair’s passenger traffic.

Flight AY022 from Delhi to Helsinki on Monday, 22 February is the final
passenger flight in scheduled traffic of Finnair’s MD-11 aircraft. Finnair
began its successful conquest of Asia with the wide-bodied MD-11 at the turn of
the millennium, and this type of aircraft has been in the company’s service for
nearly 20 years.

To date Finnair’s MD-11 fleet has behind it around 400,000 flying hours and
more than 50,000 landings. Overall, Finnair’s MD-11s have carried around 14
million passengers.

“In 1990 Finnair introduced the MD-11 on a flight from Helsinki to Las Palmas,
becoming the first airline in the world to operate the aircraft. In its time
the aircraft, which is excellent in terms of its performance, represented
state-of-the-art technology,” says MD-11 Fleet Chief Rabbe-Holger Wrede.

“Over the years Finnair has been one of the pioneers in the use of the best
modern technology and now it’s the right time to move on to new, more
environmentally friendly aircraft. Our long-haul fleet now consists of Airbus
A330 and A340 aircraft. In 2014 our fleet will be further supplemented by
totally new Airbus A350 aircraft,” explains Finnair’s SVP Communications
Christer Haglund.

The company’s long-haul fleet will now consist only of A340 and A330 aircraft,
which will harmonise the long-haul fleet with the European fleet and its A320
series aircraft. The fleet modernisation significantly improves both
profitability and environmental efficiency. The new Airbus long-haul aircraft
consume 20 per cent less fuel per passenger than the MD-11 they replace.

Of all the world’s network airlines, Finnair now flies its scheduled flights
with the most modern fleet. The average age of Finnair’s aircraft is under six
years.

The two MD-11 owned by Finnair are on sale. The possibility of continuing to
use them in Finnair’s cargo traffic is also being assessed.

Finnair Plc
Communications
19.2.2010