Flag carrier of the Republic of Finland. From its hub at Helsinki-Vantaa, the shortest point between Asia and Europe, it links Shanghai and Hong Kong with major European markets using Airbus A350 belly capacity, giving Chinese shippers an efficient freight route to Europe over the Arctic.
Finnair (IATA two-letter codeAY, ICAO three-letter codeFIN, callsign FINNAIR) is the flag carrier of the Republic of Finland, founded in 1923 and one of the world's oldest airlines in continuous operation. The company is headquartered in Helsinki and uses Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL) as its hub; it is a member of the oneworld alliance.
Finnair Cargo is the group's freight division. The model is mainly widebody belly capacity, supported by road feeder services (RFS) and wet-leased freighter capacity. The airline has long exploited Helsinki's position on the shortest route between Asia and Europe to build HEL into a cargo transit hub. Before the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Finnair held a significant share of the Asia-Europe cargo market thanks to the shortest Arctic routing over Russian airspace.
The long-haul fleet is built around Airbus A350-900 and Airbus A330 widebodies, with most long-haul flights operated by the A350. Belly capacity follows the passenger schedule, and in Europe a truck network distributes Helsinki cargo to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, Tallinn and other Nordic and Baltic cities.
On the China side, Finnair has long operated passenger and cargo service from Helsinki to Shanghai Pudong and Hong Kong. Because European carriers now avoid Russian airspace, frequencies to China have been adjusted: Shanghai runs about two flights a week and Hong Kong daily, while Beijing has not resumed scheduled passenger or cargo service after the network restructuring. Cargo from China can reach major European cities quickly through HEL.
Finnair Cargo's Asian footprint is built around Helsinki and covers Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Bangkok, Delhi and Singapore. Bangkok runs twice daily; Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore and Delhi daily; Shanghai about twice a week. Asia is Finnair Cargo's largest freight revenue market, and China traffic has long accounted for a substantial share of its Asian volumes.
On the product side Finnair Cargo uses the HEL hub to provide belly interline service from Asia to Europe. Cargo loaded in Shanghai or Hong Kong flies direct to Helsinki, is cleared, screened and re-built at the HEL cargo terminal, then distributed to cities in the Nordics, the Baltics and Western Europe on narrowbody belly capacity or by road feeder. The European leg relies on the truck network rather than a second freighter.
| Airline | Finnair |
| Cargo operator | Finnair Cargo |
| Country | Finland |
| Global headquarters | Helsinki |
| Founded | 1923 |
| Main hub | Helsinki-Vantaa HEL |
| IATA code | AY |
| ICAO code | FIN |
| Airline alliance | oneworld |
| Freight model | Passenger belly capacity plus truck feeder |
| Official website | finnaircargo.com / finnair.com |
| China routes | Shanghai about 2 a week, Hong Kong daily; Beijing not yet resumed |
Finnair has passenger stations in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and other major Chinese cities, with cargo sales managed centrally by Finnair Cargo. Chinese shippers usually book through Finnair Cargo authorised freight forwarders in China rather than contracting with the Helsinki head office, which brings faster capacity response and local documentation support.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) handles China export bookings for Finnair belly cargo, covering Shanghai and Hong Kong to Helsinki and the onward connection from HEL to European cities. Shippers can submit a booking request through our website goodhope86.com and we reply with capacity and rates once the cargo details are in.
Official airline cargo enquiries can be made at finnaircargo.com. Our relationship with Finnair is that of a cargo agent; there is no ownership or investment link. For large contract shippers who want to negotiate European-leg contract rates directly, we can arrange contact with Finnair Cargo's China sales team.
When choosing a carrier for Europe, Chinese shippers should note that Finnair Cargo has few direct flights from China (Shanghai about twice a week), so overall capacity flexibility is below that of the daily Hong Kong flight. Departure dates should be planned around the transit requirement, and in peak season booking a week or more ahead is advisable. We handle Europe traffic regularly and know the HEL transit process and the European truck feeder rhythm, so we can estimate end-to-end transit at the booking stage.
The main long-haul type, flying Helsinki to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Delhi, Singapore and Tokyo as well as New York and Dallas. Belly payload is about 10 to 15 tonnes, fuel efficiency is high, and it is the workhorse for China-Europe belly cargo.
A330s operate some European and Asian routes with belly payload close to the A350. Finnair is standardising long-haul flying on the A350 to simplify operations and cut emissions per unit.
The European leg does not rely on freighters. HEL cargo moves to Nordic and Baltic cities on Finnair narrowbody belly capacity and the road feeder (RFS) network. Trucking is reliable within Europe and cheaper than building a second air sector.
In peak season or during temporary cargo surges Finnair Cargo wet-leases freighters to add Asia-Europe mainline capacity. These block space allocations must be requested from us in advance and suit shippers with concentrated quarterly volumes and tight transit requirements.
The long-haul fleet is mainly Airbus A350-900, which burns about 25 percent less fuel than the previous widebody generation and gives consistent belly performance. The A350 services from Shanghai and Hong Kong to Helsinki are the two sectors Chinese shippers use most. Narrowbodies and trucks serve intra-European traffic; shippers do not need to specify the European aircraft type, as the airline matches it to the destination.
Finnair's scheduled cargo service from China is mainly belly capacity on passenger aircraft, with Shanghai Pudong and Hong Kong as the main points. The table lists the sectors relevant to Chinese shippers and reference frequencies. Times are local and schedules change with the season, subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking. Cargo from East China is tendered at Shanghai Pudong and cargo from South China and transhipments at Hong Kong, both operated by A350 widebodies with consistent belly performance. Beijing has not resumed, so North China cargo connects through Shanghai or Hong Kong.
| Leg | Aircraft type | Indicative schedule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Pudong PVG to and from Helsinki HEL | A350-900 | About 2 flights a week | Main corridor for East China cargo, belly capacity, Europe via HEL |
| Hong Kong HKG to and from Helsinki HEL | A350-900 | Daily service | Corridor for South China and transhipment cargo, belly capacity |
| Beijing PKX to and from Helsinki HEL | — | Not yet resumed | Scheduled service not yet resumed after the network restructuring; North China cargo connects via Shanghai or Hong Kong |
| Helsinki HEL to and from Bangkok BKK | A350 | Two flights daily | Asian network point; China cargo continues to Southeast Asia via HEL |
| Helsinki HEL to and from Delhi DEL | A350 | Daily service | Connection toward South Asia |
| Helsinki HEL to and from Seoul and Singapore | A350 | Daily service | Northeast and Southeast Asia points |
| Helsinki HEL to European cities | Narrowbody belly plus truck | Several flights daily | Distribution to the Nordics, the Baltics and Western Europe |
DefinitionsFrequencies above are reference figures compiled from public sources, with times local. Schedules change with the season and with capacity, subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking. Beijing has not resumed, so North China cargo connects through Shanghai or Hong Kong.
| Region | Representative countries | Representative arrival airports |
|---|---|---|
| Nordics | Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland | HEL Helsinki, ARN Stockholm, OSL Oslo, CPH Copenhagen |
| Baltics | Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania | TLL Tallinn, RIX Riga, VNO Vilnius |
| Western Europe | United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain | LHR London, FRA Frankfurt, CDG Paris, AMS Amsterdam, MAD Madrid |
| Southern Europe | Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Austria | FCO Rome, ATH Athens, ZRH Zurich, VIE Vienna |
| Rest of Asia | Thailand, India, Singapore, South Korea, Japan | BKK Bangkok, DEL Delhi, SIN Singapore, ICN Seoul, NRT Tokyo |
| North America | United States | JFK New York, DFW Dallas |
Cargo from China lands in Helsinki from Shanghai or Hong Kong, is cleared and re-built at the HEL terminal, and is distributed to Nordic, Baltic and Western European cities on Finnair European flights or by road feeder. Truck feeder from HEL to second-tier European cities takes one to two days, which suits time-sensitive European e-commerce and industrial component shipments.
Distribution in Europe differs by destination: Helsinki itself and Baltic cities such as Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius are served mainly by truck, same day or next day; Nordic capitals such as Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo by narrowbody belly or truck; Western European hubs such as London, Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam by onward Finnair or oneworld partner flights. Shippers only need to give the final city at booking; we settle the routing with the airline.
For Chinese exports to Europe the HEL option has a clear transit advantage toward the Nordics and the Baltics. If the destination is only a Western European hub such as London, Paris or Frankfurt, a carrier routing through Amsterdam, Frankfurt or Istanbul may offer a shorter journey. We compare the options against destination and transit requirement.
Helsinki sits at the shortest point of the Asia-Europe route and has historically been one of the densest Asian hubs among European carriers. Cargo from China transiting HEL to Europe follows a compact path.
Long-haul flying is mainly Airbus A350, with high fuel efficiency and consistent belly performance, which suits the high-value electronics and pharmaceutical cargo China exports to Europe.
HEL to Nordic and Baltic cities is mainly by truck: reliable transit at lower cost than a second air sector, which suits destinations in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
As a oneworld member, Finnair Cargo connects to the European networks of alliance carriers, so cargo from China can continue from HEL to a wider range of European and North American points.
The drawback is limited direct capacity from China: Shanghai runs only about twice a week and Beijing has not resumed, so overall capacity density is below that of Western European hub carriers such as Lufthansa and Air France. For Nordic and Baltic destinations, however, the HEL truck feeder offers clear transit and cost advantages. We compare Finnair Cargo with other European carriers against the final destination, transit requirement and budget.
Shippers moving European cargo with Finnair normally book capacity and coordinate the whole chain through us. The standard process runs as set out below; the shipper supplies the documents at each step. From booking request to arrival in Europe it usually takes about seven to ten days including the HEL transit and European distribution, and a little longer in peak season.
Finnair Cargo is belly-driven, so capacity moves with passenger load factors. Shanghai runs about twice a week and space is relatively tight, so book at least five working days ahead; Hong Kong is daily with more flexibility.
As Beijing has not resumed, cargo from North China connects to HEL through Shanghai or Hong Kong. We can arrange the domestic leg from North China to Shanghai or Hong Kong by truck or flight on a single through waybill.
We also provide European delivery after arrival in Helsinki, including customs brokerage, truck delivery and warehousing. The shipper only needs to give the final consignee details; we coordinate the China end and the Helsinki end, so there is no need to appoint a European agent.
In Europe, HEL to Nordic and Baltic cities is mainly by truck, while major Western European cities are served by onward Finnair or alliance flights. The shipper names the final city at booking and we work out the routing and freight.
Freight is charged at Finnair belly rates from Shanghai or Hong Kong to Helsinki, and at flight or truck rates for the onward sector from HEL to the European destination. Our quotations break out each sector so the shipper can see the total logistics cost. For Nordic and Baltic destinations trucking is in most cases more economical than a second air sector.
For a first shipment to Europe, shippers should note the EU requirements on CE marking, WEEE take-back of electronic waste and REACH chemical rules. At the booking stage we flag the relevant compliance points for the commodity so that cargo does not incur storage charges at destination because of documentation or compliance problems.
| Basic documents | Commercial invoice, packing list, customs declaration authorization |
| Cargo details | Pieces, gross weight, volume, commodity, HS code |
| Departure gateway | Shanghai PVG or Hong Kong HKG |
| Arrival hub | Helsinki HEL |
| Onward direction | Nordics / Western Europe / Baltics / North America |
| Special cargo | Temperature-controlled and DG cargo declared in advance |
| Air waybill prefix | Air waybill with AY prefix |
| Contact channel | goodhope86.com business line |
E-commerce shipments from China to Sweden, Norway and Denmark move by HEL truck feeder with better end-to-end transit than routing through a Western European hub. Finnair belly space takes 3C accessories, apparel and general consumer goods.
Finnair Cargo handles temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals, and biologics and diagnostic reagents exported from China to Europe can transit HEL; temperature-range shipments must be declared in advance and a temperature-controlled position confirmed.
Electronics and semiconductor products from East China fly from Shanghai in A350 belly space with a stable schedule and high security levels, which suits high-value cargo. Security screening and distribution at HEL are well established.
In peak season (the fourth quarter), when Asia-Europe demand peaks, Finnair Cargo can wet-lease freighters to add capacity. Shippers with quarterly contracts can ask us about a block space agreement to lock in capacity.
Of these products, e-commerce cargo to the Nordics and high-value electronics are the two Chinese shippers use most. Electronics manufacturers in East China ship from Shanghai in A350 belly space to Sweden, Finland and Germany, and the HEL truck feeder completes Nordic delivery within two days. Temperature-controlled pharmaceutical cargo is concentrated at Shanghai, where we confirm the temperature-controlled position and the cold store connection at HEL in advance. All special cargo must be declared to us at booking; capacity is arranged once the carrier confirms acceptance.
Finnair's Beijing route has not resumed scheduled service after the network restructuring. Cargo from North China currently connects to Helsinki through Shanghai or Hong Kong, and we can arrange the domestic leg on a through waybill.
According to the latest public information, Shanghai to Helsinki runs about twice a week with the A350, and Hong Kong to Helsinki daily. Schedules change with the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
Day-to-day cargo flies in passenger belly space; in peak season wet-leased freighters add capacity. Cargo that does not need a freighter is well served by belly space.
Helsinki to Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Baltic cities is mainly by truck, one to two days, and cheaper than a second air sector. Compared with routing through a Western European hub, the HEL option is shorter and cheaper toward the Nordics.
The waybill number begins with AY and can be tracked on the Finnair Cargo website or through our customer service. We update status proactively at booking, departure, HEL transit and arrival.
Finnair Cargo is equipped to handle dangerous goods and temperature-controlled cargo, but both require advance declaration and capacity confirmation. For these shipments contact us for a rate and booking at least five working days ahead.
Because Beijing has not resumed, cargo from North China connects to Helsinki through Shanghai or Hong Kong. We can arrange the domestic leg by truck or flight on a single through waybill, so the shipper does not have to split the booking.
Its distinguishing feature is the Nordic and Baltic distribution network at HEL. For destinations in Sweden, Norway, Denmark or the three Baltic states, the HEL truck feeder is faster and cheaper than routing through Amsterdam or Frankfurt. For Western or Southern Europe we compare other European hub options.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited, based in Shenzhen, China, handles China export bookings for Finnair belly cargo, covering Shanghai and Hong Kong to Helsinki and on to European cities, including booking, customs declaration, European transit and local delivery. Routing options and quotations are available on request and our commercial team replies within one working day of an enquiry.
Disclaimer:Prepared by Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight). The Finnair name, code and brand marks belong to Finnair; the company has no ownership, agency or investment relationship with the airline. Information is compiled from public sources and from airline publications; schedules and times are reference figures (times local, subject to seasonal change and to carrier confirmation on the day of booking). They are for reference only and do not constitute a contract of carriage or a commitment. Capacity, rates and handling details are subject to confirmation by the carrier or its authorised agent at the time of booking.