It was early in the morning last week, just a few days before Finland’s Independence Day (December 6th), when we sat with Pasi Nopanen in one of those vest pocket hotels that line Rockaway Boulevard. Like the dashed lines on a map, Rockaway Boulevard’s hotels draw the pathway to New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport.
     Sales director Scandinavia & North America for Finnair Cargo, Pasi Nopanen was bright faced and ready for action. Now only two months into what he termed “the job of a lifetime,” Pasi sees the airline continuing the tradition of keeping itself alive and viable by being the fastest to recognize and build new markets. At the moment, Finnair Cargo is just about to launch winter schedules.
     Beginning December 14, AY goes into Miami from Helsinki on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with services that increase to thrice weekly (Saturdays) in January.
     Finnair also will launch non-stop services into Chicago twice weekly starting in June 2015.
     “Miami returns our seasonal A330 service providing excellent connections to and from Northern Europe and to our expansive flights into Asia and India Subcontinent,” Pasi said.
     “But we are looking at Chicago with special interest and hope, as that busy and vital city is a key element in our desire to grow our services into the Americas.”
     Finnair discontinues all freighter services systemwide on December 20, but those services were terminated earlier this year for North America when the carrier went to GSA representation in the Americas, naming Paul Umpleby of Network Cargo Services AY VP Sales and Operations.
     “Our moves have been met with positive results for both our client base and also for Finnair,” Pasi Nopanen said.
     “We are building a new aircraft fleet with the upcoming deliveries of Airbus A350 XWB aircraft which, rather than constrict our available lift, will actually more than double our ability to carry additional volumes of air cargo by 2020.
     “In fact, our project 2020 has set as its goal a revitalization of our entire air cargo product, with phased in deliveries of new aircraft.
     “So rather than shrink back from air cargo, Finnair actually moves boldly ahead, aware of our rich and colorful history leading up to celebrating 91 years of continual service.
     “Yes, there is ongoing change, including recognizing the economic realities of 2014 and beyond.
     “But Finnair is very much what we have always been: a niche layer with a highly developed culture for air cargo and customer service that goes above and beyond the norm, and never takes for granted or forgets how important our customers are.”

     As Pasi spoke, we were thinking about Finnair and its long and colorful history.
     For all its 91 years, AY has been, in truth, quite unbeatable.
     We recall writing a plan that the carrier had in 1940 when we came upon a picture of AY staff at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City.
     In the picture was a young lady from Finnair (at the time the airline was called Aero OY) holding a model of a Focke Wulf 200 “Condor” four-engine airplane, one of two that Aero OY had ordered so that it could commence non-stop service from Helsinki to European destinations and New York, as the 1940 Olympic Games were to be held in Helsinki.
     At the time the great airlines like Pan Am, British, and some others were utilizing huge, lumbering flying boats, and here came a European manufacturer in Germany with a pressurized, high altitude four-engine airplane that might have changed history.
     For as many years as we have known Finnair, that sense of pioneering and destiny has not slackened a bit.
     Today Finnair has built its future by adding to its America’s routes via Helsinki to China, India, and most recently into the red-hot markets of South East Asia.
     Pasi Nopanen brings to his post at Finnair Cargo a solid airline background having served in operations. He also offers freight forwarding experience and has become familiar with many of the shippers he now calls upon to do business with Finnair Cargo.
     “You gain a certain perspective of what is expected when you are on ‘the other side,’” Pasi smiles.
     “Today it cannot be emphasized enough how critical it is to stay very close to the customer whilst letting everyone up and down the line know what to expect.
     “We simply believe the market demand and reality underscore that nothing can be taken for granted and we must perform above expectation.”
     “I want to say to our major partners that we realize the role of the freight forwarders is a difficult one.
     “I can tell you, having worked on the other side, dealing with shippers is no walk in the park.
“Finnair is reliable and transparent.
     “We concentrate on doing some things in air cargo very well while at the same time not fielding an offering that is all over the lot.
     “Our strategy is to analyze and be decisive. That means less whining and more action,” Pasi said.
     “Helsinki is the natural and easy gateway between east and west and we want to bring the markets to our country.
     “The addition of new cargo-friendly aircraft, to double available lift for air cargo in just six years, and other enhancements point to an interesting future.
     “I recognize that in some quarters times are tough and uncertain, and we acknowledge the need for improvement all around.
     “But at the same time I am really looking forward to 2015.”
Geoffrey/Sabiha/Flossie

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