Emirates Opens Daily A350 Service to Helsinki

Emirates has added Finland to its network. Its first flight from Dubai to Helsinki, EK167, landed at Helsinki Airport on 2 October 2026. The airline will now fly the route every day of the year.

According to Emirates, this is the only year-round non-stop air link between the UAE and Finland. Without it, travellers between the two countries would have to change planes at another airport.

The schedule and the aircraft

EK167 leaves Dubai at 08:15 and reaches Helsinki at 14:30, local time. The return flight, EK168, leaves Helsinki at 16:20 and lands in Dubai at 00:20 the next day. Emirates says these times are set to connect with its flights to East and Southeast Asia, India, the Indian Ocean islands, Africa, the Gulf and Australasia.

The route uses the Airbus A350, the newest type in the Emirates fleet. Emirates’ A350s have 298 seats in three classes: Business, Premium Economy and Economy. Business Class has a 1-2-1 layout, so every seat has direct aisle access.

The A350 is much smaller than the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 that make up most of Emirates’ long-haul fleet. With fewer seats to fill, the A350 suits new routes such as Helsinki, where demand is still being built.

Who was on board

The first flight carried passengers from more than 20 cities on the Emirates network, including Mumbai, Taipei, Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney. This is the main way the airline expects to use the route: carrying travellers from across its network to Finland through Dubai, as well as passengers flying only between Dubai and Helsinki.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, led the Emirates delegation. He described Helsinki as a gateway for both business and leisure travel in Finland and thanked authorities in both countries for supporting the launch.

At the airport, the flight was welcomed by:

• Amna Fikri, UAE Ambassador to Finland
• Petri Vuori, Senior Vice President of Route Development at Finavia, which runs Helsinki Airport

Vuori said a daily, year-round service matters for Finnish businesses, trade, tourism and investment. He added that it links Finland not just with the Middle East but also with Asia, Africa and Australia through Dubai.

Why it matters

For Finland, the route offers a single-stop connection to many Emirates destinations that have no direct flights from Helsinki. For Emirates, it adds a new destination in northern Europe. Its tour operator, Emirates Holidays, is already selling Finland packages that go beyond the capital to Lapland, including Rovaniemi.

Tickets are on sale through emirates.com, the Emirates app and travel agents.