Finnair turns 99

The big celebrations are usually reserved for jubilee years, such as 50, 75 or even 100.

In the last couple of years we have seen the likes of KLM and Avianca become centenarians. Even British Airways managed to squeeze in a, rather debatable, claim to this coveted longevity status.

One of my favourite carriers is not quite there…yet…but I got an email today reminding me that precisely on this day (#OTD), the Finnish flag carrier was turning 99, which is also a rather remarkable age, so I thought “why wait twelve more months to mark the occasion?”

Finnair was founded on 1st November 1923, under the name Aero O/Y (hence its call sign “AY”, which it uses to this day). The first route run across the Gulf of Finland, from Helsinki to Tallinn, Estonia’s capital.

Incidentally, the first aircraft it operated was a Junkers F.13 fitted with floats, which is a detail that really caught my attention. While I don’t claim to be an expert in early aviation history, the Junkers F.13 is an aircraft name that truly resonates with me.

Why?

Back in 2016 I travelled to Switzerland to admire a Junkers F.13 which had been built from scratch by the then owner of premium luggage brand Rimowa. That was a very special occasion, 1920s-themed party included, that I had the chance to chronicle in this piece.

This anniversary arrives at a time when Finnair is at a crossroads, as I explained in this recent piece for The Points Guy, external events, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the aftershocks of the covid pandemic have forced Finnair to rethink its whole strategy, tighten its belt and look for new markets, from the Middle East to North America.

The latest financial report pointed to a redressing of the sitiation, so, hopefully, to another 99!

Here are some historical pics, all of them courtesy of Finnair: