Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) will welcome a new international airline with Finnair beginning service to Helsinki on June 1, 2022. The flight’s shorter polar routing will give passengers efficient connections not only to Scandinavia and Eastern European destinations like Poland and Russia, but also to popular destinations in Western Europe. Passengers will also be able to connect to oneworld alliance member Alaska Airlines’ extensive network through SEA. The new service will also highlight the Port of Seattle’s investment in the new International Arrivals Facility (IAF) scheduled to open in 2022.
“This is exciting to hear of Finnair’s new Seattle-Helsinki service which will provide additional options for travelers to reach more of the world directly from SEA,” said Lance Lyttle, SEA Airport Managing Director. “This is also a testament to the strength and attraction of the Seattle region as travel rebounds from the pandemic. In addition, we look forward to welcoming Finnair passengers into our brand new International Arrivals Facility, opening in early 2022.”
The three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) nonstop service to Helsinki (HEL) will operate using an Airbus A330.
“We’re thrilled to announce the new SEA-HEL route as the demand for international travel continues to grow exponentially,” said Caroline Borawski, General Manager, North America at Finnair. “Finnair is deeply committed to providing customers throughout North America, and now the Pacific Northwest, with direct access to Finland, Scandinavia and the Baltics as well as crucial connections to additional European countries.”
With Alaska Airlines’ recent entry into the Oneworld alliance in 2021, Alaska Mileage Plan members will be able to earn and redeem frequent flier miles on Finnair’s entire network.
SEA Airport is making significant investments to make international travel through SEA more efficient and representative of our region. Opening in early 2022, the new International Arrivals Facility will create an expanded and enhanced experience to meet the growing regional demand for international travel. The IAF will be over four times the size of the current facility and include an iconic aerial walkway which is the longest over an active taxilane in the world!
Over 75% of our pre-pandemic international services have returned to SEA. Four new international services started in 2021, and additional services will begin in 2022 including Finnair.
