Finavia confirmed on 15 January that China Southern Airlines will relaunch direct service between Beijing-Daxing and Helsinki on 29 March 2026, initially three times per week and ramping to daily from 20 June. The decision restores a cornerstone of Helsinki Airport’s pre-pandemic Asia strategy and offers Finnish exporters renewed belly-hold capacity into northern China.(visahq.com)
Before Covid-19, Helsinki handled more than 600,000 annual passengers to and from mainland China, positioning itself as a ‘Fast Transfer’ hub thanks to 35-minute minimum connection times. The Beijing route alone generated €220 million in visitor spending and supported 1,800 jobs, according to a 2019 Oxford Economics study cited by Finavia. Its suspension in early 2020 dealt a heavy blow to both tourism and Finland’s air-cargo sector.
For corporate mobility teams the comeback is significant. Chinese work-permit holders stranded by the lack of direct flights will regain a predictable itinerary, while Finnish firms with Beijing offices can slash travel times by four hours compared with one-stop options via Frankfurt or Istanbul. Visa processing remains the wild card: China only reinstated multi-entry business visas for Finns in October 2025, and application volumes are still capped at 70 percent of 2019 levels.
![China Southern restores Beijing–Helsinki flights after five-year hiatus]()
If your travelers need assistance navigating those still-shifting visa requirements, VisaHQ’s Finland team can help. The company offers end-to-end document checks, expedited appointment scheduling and real-time status tracking for Chinese business or tourist visas, all bookable online at https://www.visahq.com/finland/. Partnering with VisaHQ can cut lead times and minimize the risk of application rejection, giving travel managers one less variable to worry about.
China Southern will deploy Boeing 787-9 aircraft configured with business, premium-economy and economy cabins, giving Helsinki a SkyTeam alternative to Finnair’s Oneworld service to Shanghai (scheduled to restart in December 2026). Freight forwarders welcome the added 12 tonnes of cargo capacity per flight for pharmaceuticals, machinery spares and e-commerce parcels.
Finavia and Visit Finland plan a €2 million joint marketing campaign in Mandarin to rebuild passenger flows, targeting the May Day and summer family-holiday peaks. Travel managers should update cross-border health-insurance policies, as Chinese authorities still require proof of Covid-19 medical cover for all foreign visitors.
Before Covid-19, Helsinki handled more than 600,000 annual passengers to and from mainland China, positioning itself as a ‘Fast Transfer’ hub thanks to 35-minute minimum connection times. The Beijing route alone generated €220 million in visitor spending and supported 1,800 jobs, according to a 2019 Oxford Economics study cited by Finavia. Its suspension in early 2020 dealt a heavy blow to both tourism and Finland’s air-cargo sector.
For corporate mobility teams the comeback is significant. Chinese work-permit holders stranded by the lack of direct flights will regain a predictable itinerary, while Finnish firms with Beijing offices can slash travel times by four hours compared with one-stop options via Frankfurt or Istanbul. Visa processing remains the wild card: China only reinstated multi-entry business visas for Finns in October 2025, and application volumes are still capped at 70 percent of 2019 levels.
If your travelers need assistance navigating those still-shifting visa requirements, VisaHQ’s Finland team can help. The company offers end-to-end document checks, expedited appointment scheduling and real-time status tracking for Chinese business or tourist visas, all bookable online at https://www.visahq.com/finland/. Partnering with VisaHQ can cut lead times and minimize the risk of application rejection, giving travel managers one less variable to worry about.
China Southern will deploy Boeing 787-9 aircraft configured with business, premium-economy and economy cabins, giving Helsinki a SkyTeam alternative to Finnair’s Oneworld service to Shanghai (scheduled to restart in December 2026). Freight forwarders welcome the added 12 tonnes of cargo capacity per flight for pharmaceuticals, machinery spares and e-commerce parcels.
Finavia and Visit Finland plan a €2 million joint marketing campaign in Mandarin to rebuild passenger flows, targeting the May Day and summer family-holiday peaks. Travel managers should update cross-border health-insurance policies, as Chinese authorities still require proof of Covid-19 medical cover for all foreign visitors.
