Aircraft

Oneworld carrier Finnair is to acquire nine Airbus A350s, plus four options, as well as three Airbus A340-300Es to replace the airline’s Boeing MD-11 fleet.

Finnair is to begin taking delivery of the A350s in 2011 but will acquire the A340s earlier, in around 2007-08 so that the carrier can cater for Asian traffic growth.

No engine selection for the A350s has been disclosed. The A340-300Es are powered by CFM International CFM56 engines.

The airline said at the beginning of this year that it was looking to renew its long-haul fleet of seven MD-11s – an eighth is to be introduced shortly – towards the end of the decade.

“The new aircraft will bring commonality to the Finnair fleet,” says the airline. Finnair is already an operator of Airbus narrowbodies.

Finnair, which will use the aircraft to underpin its expanding Asian network, is valuing the agreement at over €1 billion ($1.2 billion).