Finnair will begin year-round Melbourne flights in October 2026, operating daily from Helsinki via Bangkok and opening its first direct connection to Australia. Jenny Southan reports

Finnair has confirmed it will launch flights to Australia for the first time in its history, with a new daily service to Melbourne starting in October 2026. The move marks a significant expansion of the airline’s long-haul network and adds Australia as a completely new destination for the Finnish flag carrier.

The Finnair Melbourne flights will operate all year round from the airline’s home hub in Helsinki, routing via Bangkok. Services are scheduled to begin on October 25, 2026, subject to government approval, and will be flown using Airbus A350 aircraft. Tickets go on sale from December 18, 2025.

For Finnair, the route represents a strategic extension of its long-standing focus on linking Europe and Asia through Helsinki. By adding Melbourne, the airline will now connect the northern and southern hemispheres through the same network model. Australia will be accessible via a single stop for travellers connecting through Finland from across Europe.

Anssi Partanen, market director Europe at Finnair, said: “Melbourne is an important destination for many people in the UK and Ireland travelling to visit friends and family across the globe, and we are thrilled to announce this unique bridge between the northern and southern hemispheres. We are also excited to be one of the only airlines offering services to the city from Europe.”

He added that passengers will be able to travel to Australia while also connecting onwards within Finnair’s wider route network. “With seamless connections via Helsinki from London Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin, our customers will benefit from a smooth, comfortable journey to Australia, with the flexibility to travel to other destinations in Finnair’s network along the way,” he said.

The flight schedule has been designed to integrate closely with Finnair’s existing long-haul and short-haul operations. Departures from Helsinki will leave shortly after midnight, arriving in Bangkok in the afternoon before continuing to Melbourne after a brief stop. The service is expected to land in Melbourne the following morning. On the return journey, flights will depart Melbourne in the afternoon, stop in Bangkok in the evening and arrive back in Helsinki early the next day.

According to Finnair, this timing aligns with its first wave of morning departures across Europe, allowing onward connections to a wide range of destinations. The airline said the structure also supports efficient use of its Airbus A350 fleet, which already operates much of its long-haul network.

The carrier highlighted that its Asia services are scheduled to allow short transfer times for passengers arriving from the UK and Ireland. Flights from London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh all operate from the same terminal in Helsinki, enabling minimum connection times of around 40 minutes.

Melbourne, located on Australia’s south eastern coast, is one of the country’s largest cities and a major centre for education, business and culture. It is home to a large European diaspora as well as significant student and expatriate communities, which Finnair believes will help support demand on the route beyond leisure travel alone.

The launch of Finnair Melbourne flights comes as the airline continues to rebuild and reshape its global network following several years of disruption. By 2026, Finnair’s schedule will include 93 destinations across Europe, 11 in Asia, seven in North America and two in the Middle East. Toronto is also due to join the network in summer 2026, further expanding its transatlantic presence.

For UK and Irish travellers, the new route offers an additional option for reaching Australia through northern Europe rather than via the Middle East or Asia alone. While the service includes a stop in Bangkok, Finnair positions Helsinki as the main transfer hub, with schedules built to reduce overall journey complexity.

The airline said further details on onboard services and cabin products for the Melbourne route will be shared closer to launch. For now, the announcement signals a notable step for Finnair as it enters a market it has never served before, adding long-haul reach at a time when global travel demand continues to recover.