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.”