Before Christmas, Finnair received its fifth Airbus A330 aircraft. The newcomer's business class has a new type of full-flat seat, which reclines to fully horizontal, as well as a new lay-out with more seats, offering more privacy than before. The Airbus A330 aircraft are part of Finnair's long-haul traffic fleet modernisation, which will reduce emissions significantly. This year the company has taken delivery of five new Airbus A330s. "There has been a perceptible pick-up of business travel in Europe-Asia traffic, apart from the Finnish market area. The new aircraft and the enhanced service will therefore be needed," says Finnair's SVP Communications Christer Haglund. The new business class Contour Vantage seats recline to fully horizontal. Finnair is one of the first airlines in the world to introduce the seats. The new lay-out also allows the seats to be arranged so that more seats fit into the same space. The business class of Finnair's latest Airbus A330 aircraft has 45 seats instead of the 42 seats of previous aircraft. A third of business class passengers can choose a lie-flat seat that sits on its own, without another seat beside it. The new Airbuses represent the latest technology and their fuel efficiency is top class. "The acquisition of the new aircraft will significantly improve profitability and environmental efficiency. The new Airbus long-haul aircraft consume 20 per cent less fuel than the MD-11 they replace," says Haglund. The A330 aircraft is used on shorter long-haul routes, such as New York and Delhi, as well as on the Seoul and Nagoya routes. Finnair Plc Communications 22.12.2009 Further information: Finnair Media Desk tel. +358 9 818 4020 or media.desk(a)finnair.com Finnair blog: http://blogs.finnair.com Photobank: www.finnair.com/gallery Finnair Group website: www.finnairgroup.com via.Helsinki: www.viahelsinki.com