Finnair, Finland’s flagship airline, celebrated the inauguration of a new direct flight from Toronto to Helsinki on May 4, at a luncheon held at Toronto’s Scotia Plaza.

Representatives from the carrier were joined by members of the Finnish Embassy and over twenty of Canada’s travel and trade media for a look at everything awaiting Canadians in Helsinki, culminating in a ribbon-cutting at Toronto Pearson Airport prior to departure.

“We’re extremely excited to be returning to Canada with the first and only direct, transatlantic flight between Canada and Finland,” said Javier Roig Sanchez, Finnair’s general manager, North America. “As Finnair continues to grow its presence in the North American market , Canada was a welcome addition to the network. Whether they are exploring Helsinki or connecting elsewhere in the Nordics or Europe, we look forward to welcoming more Canadians than ever this summer.”

Roig Sanchez and the Finnair team were joined at the event by Hanna-Leena Korteniemi, Finland’s Ambassador to Canada, who spoke to the media in attendance.

The new Toronto-Helsinki direct route will operate three times a week during the summer season, offering three choices of cabin: business, economy, and premium economy. The route will be flown by the Airbus A330. Business and leisure travelers alike will be well-served by the airline’s AirLounge seat in the Business Class, with an innovative pod-like, no-recline design.

In addition to being a great destination itself, Finnair’s home hub, Helsinki, is a major regional gateway to destinations in Europe, the Baltics, Nordics and South Asia market, such as New Delhi India. The carrier is a member of the oneworld alliance, which allows it to extend its network through partners, including American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus. The Finnish carrier also enjoys a partnership with WestJet, serving origins like YEA (Edmonton), YYC (Calgary) and YOW (Ottawa), among others. The Toronto route represents Finnair’s 7th gateway in North America.