Finnair joins BA-JAL joint business

Finnair has joined the agreement between Japan Airlines and British Airways to launch a joint business next spring.

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) granted anti-trust immunity (ATI) to the joint business yesterday.

The addition of Finnair will provide better links between the EU and Japan, more flight choices and enhanced frequent flyer benefits, as part of the agreement to cooperate commercially on flights between the two regions.

The revenue-sharing agreement will strengthen the oneworld alliance and enable it to compete more effectively with other global alliances.

Currently, Finnair flies daily from Helsinki to Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. British Airways operates from Heathrow to Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports, while JAL operates daily from Tokyo to London, Paris, Frankfurt and Helsinki.