Finnair (AY) started a large-scale promotional campaign on March 8 using actor Koji Yakusho in connection with its daily flight operations from Narita to Helsinki effective from March 28. The airline considers commercially Japan as the most important market in the Asian region. Its flight frequency from Chubu International Airport Centrair will also be increased to five flights per week on the same day the daily flight operation will start from Narita International Airport. The promotional campaign extols Finnair’s “Shortest and Fastest” service to 32 destinations in Europe from Narita, Osaka’s Kansai International Airport and Chubu International Airport with a total of 19 weekly flights. At the press briefing held on March 8, Sakari Rom, Sales Director Japan at Finnair, said that the airline’s burning issue is to enhance its market recognition in the Japanese market, showing enthusiasm that it endeavors to achieve (even after its increased frequency) the average seat load factor of 90 to 95 percent during the peak traffic season and 80 to 85 percent throughout the year on the respective Japan routes, stimulating the travel demand by taking advantage of Yakusho’s high profile as an actor.

Finnair told the press briefing that the Japan’s sales turnover accounts for more than 10 percent of the system-wide turnover which led the airline to decide on a significant increase of its Japan/Helsinki service. “We see our business chance when our rival airlines show reluctance in the market expansion,” quoting Hiroaki Nagahara, the airline’s Sales Manager Japan as saying. In fact, during the summer timetable period last year, Finnair operated a daily service on the Narita/Helsinki route by adding three weekly scheduled charter flights, thereby the aggregate number of passenger loads by the end of September surged by 25 percent year-on-year, registering the average seat load factor exceeding 80 percent, continued Nagahara.

During the press briefing, Finnair also revealed that it is eager to inaugurate a new service from Tokyo’s Haneda airport as part of its future business strategy. Commenting on the strategy, Nagahara said that the airline endeavors to realize to double its daily flight operation from Tokyo after 2011 as soon as possible with an eye on a service also from Haneda. However, as long as serving destinations beyond Helsinki continues to be a pillar of the airline’s business strategy, it would not operate from Haneda airport, even if the slots at Haneda are granted after the aviation talks between Japan and Finland, unless the slots are secured for take-off and landing during the morning. Should it not be the case, Finnair would prefer to double its daily flight frequency from Narita International Airport when the departure and arrival slots are expanded there.

Meanwhile, the promotion will feature Koji Yakusho acting “Mr. Europe” who flies frequently back and forth between Japan and Europe, extolling Finnair’s “shortest and fastest” flight. The airline will launch the promotion mainly in newspapers, magazines, advertisements in the terminals and also on the website. The promotion is scheduled to be launched over the next two years, but the airline may consider continuing the promotion even thereafter. From the way the promotional campaign features a businessman as Finnair’s brand promoter with actor Yakusho’s sophisticated character as well as his popularity, the airline apparently aims to boost business traffic, capitalizing on its daily operations from Narita.


(Note: This article translated from Japanese into English)