Small arrangements between oneworld alliance partners. Finnair has entered into a long-term lease agreement with its alliance partner, Qantas, for two Airbus A330s. The two aircraft will initially be leased to Qantas on a wet lease basis for two and a half years, followed by a dry lease from 2025. The wet lease for the first Airbus A330 will start in October 2023, and the second Airbus will start in early 2024. The contract is part of Finnair's efforts to ensure optimal performance of its Airbus A330 fleet, while the airline is still severely hampered on its long-haul routes by the closure of Russian airspace following the start of the conflict in Ukraine. 

A circular flight program 

During the wet lease period, the Airbus A330 will be deployed on Qantas' Sydney-Singapore and Sydney-Bangkok routes. Finnair pilots will operate the Finnish airline's flights between Helsinki and Singapore and Helsinki and Bangkok and then fly to Sydney for Qantas, before returning to Helsinki. Flight crews will be provided by Finnair's partners based in Singapore and Bangkok, and maintenance will be provided by Finnair and its partners.

Finnair says it has planned for sufficient pilot crew sizing to cover all its needs, including those affected by the wet lease. The contract with Qantas will also not affect the deployment of Finnair's flight crews, on its own network. Recall that since the closure of Russian airspace, Finnair has rebuilt a more balanced network, due to the fact that the avoidance of Russian airspace has lengthened flight times between its Helsinki hub and Asian destinations.