Press release 16 June 2015 Finnair has been named Northern Europe’s Best Airline at the World Airline Awards at the Paris Air Show, for the sixth year running. Organised by Skytrax, the recognition is based on an independent survey of some 18 million travellers from more than 160 countries. At the same time, the oneworld alliance, to which Finnair belongs, was named Best Airline Alliance for the third straight time. "This is a recognition for the excellent work done by our committed team in the air and on the ground to serve our customers as they connect between Europe and Asia with Finnair", says Juha Järvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Finnair. "We want to offer our customers a unique Nordic experience, and will continue to invest in further improving our product and service, with many upgrades in the pipeline already. We also look forward to starting our A350 operations this autumn, as the first European airline to do so. This will enable us to offer even better customer comfort and new services." Finnair is the first European airline to receive the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, with service to Shanghai, Beijing and Bangkok commencing in autumn 2015. With a spacious, light cabin with award-winning Nordic design, on-board Wi-Fi and top of the range IFE system, the new aircraft offers unparalleled passenger comfort. Finnair is also investing in digital services, introducing new ancillary services to allow customers to tailor their travel experience, and investing into bringing WiFi connectivity to its entire Airbus fleet, with installations starting in 2016. Last year Finnair expanded its Lounges at Helsinki Airport, completed the installation of full-flat seats to the Business Class of its long-haul fleet, upgraded its inflight entertainment system, introduced Economy Comfort in long-haul business class, and collaborated with top Finnish chefs to create new Signature Menus in Business Class. About the World Airline AwardsThe World Airline Awards are regarded as the primary benchmarking tool for passenger satisfaction levels of airlines throughout the world. The passenger survey analyses customer satisfaction for the overall airline passenger experience, at both the airport and on board the aircraft: check-in to boarding, seat comfort, cabin cleanliness, food, beverages, in-flight entertainment and staff service. The survey covered more than 200 airlines, from the largest international airlines to small domestic carriers, and measured standards across more than 40 areas of airline front-line product and service. The transparency and global coverage of the survey distinguish the World Airline Awards as the most prestigious and respected awards in the airline industry.