Finnair used the traditionally quiet U.S. Thanksgiving week to reveal a bullish long-haul programme for summer 2026, signalling renewed confidence in trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific premium demand. According to the schedule update published on 26 November, the Helsinki-based carrier will fly up to 11 times weekly to Texas, with double-daily rotations on four days—nearly doubling capacity versus summer 2024. Chicago becomes daily, Seattle rises to five flights a week, and services to Los Angeles jump from three to five.
Across the Pacific, Finnair is rebuilding its once-dominant Asia network. Osaka returns to daily operations in time for World Expo 2025, while Nagoya increases from two to four weekly flights. Shanghai gains a fourth weekly service, and the airline maintains daily twin-airport coverage in Tokyo, splitting capacity between Haneda and Narita to suit both Oneworld connections and leisure traffic.
![Finnair Unveils Aggressive 2026 Summer Schedule, Doubling Texas Flights and Boosting Asian Connections]()
Chief Commercial Officer Christine Rovelli said the expansion is driven by “robust demand from Nordic exporters, tech firms and the recovering conference sector,” adding that corporate bookings for North America in Q3 2025 were already 18 percent above 2024 levels. The carrier will deploy its new A350-900 aircraft, configured with AirLounge lie-flat seats in Business Class and a redesigned Premium Economy cabin aimed at long-haul SMEs.
For Finnish companies, the bigger schedule offers more same-day return options and one-stop access to secondary U.S. and Japanese cities via partner airlines. Travel-management firms expect the additional capacity to temper summer fares, which spiked 26 percent last year amid aircraft shortages. Freight forwarders also welcome the belly-hold space, crucial for high-value electronics and seasonal salmon exports.
The move, however, is not without risk. Geopolitical tensions continue to restrict Finnair’s historic Siberian shortcuts to Asia, forcing longer routings via the Middle East and adding cost. Analysts note that sustaining daily Osaka and expanded Shanghai flights will depend on stable overflight agreements and China’s still-uneven post-Covid rebound. Finnair says it has hedged 65 percent of its jet-fuel needs for the summer period and will calibrate frequencies “based on forward bookings and geopolitical developments.”
Across the Pacific, Finnair is rebuilding its once-dominant Asia network. Osaka returns to daily operations in time for World Expo 2025, while Nagoya increases from two to four weekly flights. Shanghai gains a fourth weekly service, and the airline maintains daily twin-airport coverage in Tokyo, splitting capacity between Haneda and Narita to suit both Oneworld connections and leisure traffic.
Chief Commercial Officer Christine Rovelli said the expansion is driven by “robust demand from Nordic exporters, tech firms and the recovering conference sector,” adding that corporate bookings for North America in Q3 2025 were already 18 percent above 2024 levels. The carrier will deploy its new A350-900 aircraft, configured with AirLounge lie-flat seats in Business Class and a redesigned Premium Economy cabin aimed at long-haul SMEs.
For Finnish companies, the bigger schedule offers more same-day return options and one-stop access to secondary U.S. and Japanese cities via partner airlines. Travel-management firms expect the additional capacity to temper summer fares, which spiked 26 percent last year amid aircraft shortages. Freight forwarders also welcome the belly-hold space, crucial for high-value electronics and seasonal salmon exports.
The move, however, is not without risk. Geopolitical tensions continue to restrict Finnair’s historic Siberian shortcuts to Asia, forcing longer routings via the Middle East and adding cost. Analysts note that sustaining daily Osaka and expanded Shanghai flights will depend on stable overflight agreements and China’s still-uneven post-Covid rebound. Finnair says it has hedged 65 percent of its jet-fuel needs for the summer period and will calibrate frequencies “based on forward bookings and geopolitical developments.”
