In Conversation with SAKARI ROMU General Manager, Finnair Plc.

You’ve been in the Aviation Industry for a long period of time, please share your journey with us. Also, tell us about the most memorable moment with Finnair that you will never forget?

I joined Finnair in 1981. It was when Finnair was planning to open the Helsinki-Tokyo route as the first non-stop service between Western Europe and Japan. My first job was to work with a project team to open this service. The route was opened in 1983. After that, I worked in various positions in the Commercial Division related to marketing and revenue management. In 2009, I moved to Japan, a country where I spent my childhood, and worked as General Manager Japan. In 2009, Finnair had only 4 weekly frequencies to Japan, but in the coming years, Finnair’s operations in Japan grew rapidly. Frequencies to Tokyo were added, and new destinations like Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Sapporo were added. It was a great experience! After Finnair, I worked for Philippine Airlines and Air Asia and returned to Finnair in 2021.

Our ability to adapt, and the sheer Finnish sisu. Finnair has always been able to adapt to the world around us and see opportunities in the market.

How important is the Indian Market for you Considering that India is expected to become the world’s third-biggest aviation market by the middle of this decade. Please tell us about the importance of the Indian market in Finnair’s overall route expansion strategy?

India has been part of our story since 2006. We see a lot of potential in the huge Indian market in the long term and recognize that it is the 3rd fastest-growing air transport market in the world. Our team in India has worked closely with our local partners to promote the network and connectivity we offer via our Helsinki home hub. We have seen new traffic flows form over the past year between, for example, India and our US destinations. We are also delighted to see so many Indian travelers discovering the wonders that Finland has to offer, and we welcome you to explore our Nordic homeland.

What is the Strategy for the Asia Market? As recently Mumbai to Helsinki direct flight has been launched please throw some light on the expansion plans of the new route for Finnair Roadmap ahead. Also, share Distinctive travel experience as the airline launches new cabin on its Delhi route?

India offers a lot of opportunities for airlines. We are actively monitoring all the possibilities India has to offer. Finnair’s new Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy cabins offer excellent opportunities to experience Finnair’s service. The New Business Class seat is a unique product, and we are very proud of our all-Indian crew. Finnair’s position in traffic between Europe and Asia has remained strong, even though we are now operating longer routes, avoiding the Russian airspace, and we focus on key cities where we have a strong historical presence. We, of course, will continue to evaluate our route network going forward and look forward to increasing our presence in the Indian market and resuming our Mumbai route again.

What are current trends in the Aviation industry Please let us know about Key trends/insights observed in the consumer pattern in the tourism segment – both from traveler and industry perspective?

The trend for premium travel has significantly accelerated over the last few years, and we introduced Premium Economy as a new travel class on our long-haul flights last year. Also, our customers traveling with us from Delhi have been able to enjoy Premium Economy since last spring. The cabin renewal has been well received by our customers; we see this in higher NPS scores on routes flown with the new cabins. Our customer offering is based on choice; customers can tailor their travel experience based on their own individual needs, starting with choosing the right ticket type, travel class, and possible travel extras that they need and want.

Theme for the World Tourism day was Tourism and Green Investment. Please share a quote on the theme and also tell us about Finnair’s strategy for becoming environment-conscious airlines? Share your views on Usage of sustainable aviation fuel to reduce carbon footprint.

At Finnair, our goal is to reach carbon neutrality by the end of 2045. Achieving carbon neutrality in aviation is an ambitious target that requires an extensive toolkit. The key tools for reducing emissions include reducing the weight of aircraft, developing fuel-efficient flight methods, using sustainable fuels, and investments in new, fuel-efficient aircraft technology and alternative fuels. In short term, sustainable aviation fuels play a huge part in bridging the gap before newer technologies, such as hydrogen flying, become available. We aim to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuel together with the oneworld alliance, which has set a common aspirational goal of achieving a 10 percent level of SAF uptake by 2030.

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