To the other side of the world: how the Helsinki–Melbourne route is flown
How did Melbourne become our new destination?
"Originally, we were looking for a year-round long-haul destination, which turned out to be challenging, as most options leaned towards either the summer or the winter season," says Luis Wilhelmi from the Network unit.
When Melbourne was first suggested within the team, the idea felt bold but intriguing. The long distance from Finland to Australia brings its own challenges to route planning, but the city was also seen as having a lot of potential.
"Melbourne has a large European community, and travel between Australia and Europe is growing in both directions, for both leisure and business," Luis says.
Where did the route planning begin?
"Planning a new route always starts with a thorough safety and risk assessment. When we build a connection to the other side of the world, we need to look at both the new destination airport and the entire route along the way," says Matti Keskinarkaus, VP Flight Operations.
For the Melbourne launch, we have, among other things, carried out cost analyses, ordered aeronautical charts, prepared guidance to support pilots' operations, and defined the alternate airports that are used in disruption situations if landing at the destination airport is not possible for one reason or another. There are also volcanic areas along the route, so the possibility of ash clouds has had to be taken into account in the planning.
The planning work doesn't end when the route opens, either. "We will refine the guidelines based on feedback from the first flights," Matti says.
Why does the flight stop over in Bangkok?
The distance between Helsinki and Melbourne is so long that a stopover is needed because of both aircraft range and crew working hours. "We believe passengers will also welcome the stopover, as it gives them a chance to stretch their legs between two long-haul flights," Luis says.
Both legs of the route can also be booked separately. This means you can buy a ticket not only from Helsinki to Melbourne, but also from Bangkok to Melbourne and vice versa. The schedule has been designed at both ends of the route to enable smooth connections to other destinations in Europe and Australia.
What kind of shifts do pilots work?
A pilot's duty period is about a week long, during which they fly four long-haul flights at different times of day and across different time zones. They spend about a day in Bangkok in each direction, and two days in Melbourne.
Flights to Melbourne have more pilots on board so that everyone has the chance to rest in turn during the flight. Normally, a flight has only two pilots, but on Melbourne flights there are three or four.
"Rest during the flight and at the destinations is important for maintaining alertness and managing fatigue. Sleeping across different time zones is very individual: some sleep whenever they feel sleepy, others try to sleep according to Finnish night time, and a third group splits their sleep into shorter naps of varying lengths," says Mikko Välisalo from Flight Operations.
How is the service designed for such a long flight?
"One of the most important things is how we design the service around the passenger instead of the clock," says Nathaniel Silva-White from Inflight Experience.
We aim to serve meals when passengers are most likely to want to eat, and to offer as many peaceful moments as possible for sleeping on the flight.
"Our goal is to create an experience where care, rest and smooth flight operations blend together seamlessly," Nathaniel says.
How are meals and breaks timed when many passengers also want to sleep?
On long-haul flights crossing several time zones, meal scheduling takes into account factors such as flight duration, departure and arrival times, and mealtime rhythms.
"For example, on an evening departure, the main meal can be served soon after take-off. After that, passengers have a long, quiet period for rest. A lighter breakfast is served before arrival," Nathaniel explains. "On daytime flights, on the other hand, service can be paced more loosely, giving more opportunities to enjoy drinks and small snacks during the flight."
With the Order to Seat service, customers can also order food and drinks through the entertainment system screen, on their own schedule, straight to their seat. In addition, our cabin crew regularly walk through the cabin offering water and blueberry juice.
The service design also takes different travel needs into account. A passenger heading off on holiday may want different things from a flight than a business traveller.
"We know we've succeeded when our customers arrive ready to explore their destination," Nathaniel sums up.
Is there anything Finnish or Australian on the menu?
"On the Bangkok–Melbourne leg, the passenger base is very international, and many passengers are coming from Australia or New Zealand. That naturally shows in the menu design too," says Sami Haaksiala from Finnair Kitchen.
The aim is for passengers to experience a piece of Finland on the other side of the world as well. Finnishness shows up, for example, in the drinks, familiar brands and the identity of the food. Local flavours, in turn, appear in small, carefully considered details. One of them can be found in the economy class dessert on the Melbourne–Bangkok leg.
"We serve a Tim Tam chocolate biscuit with the meal – one of Australia's best-known and most loved brands. Its status in Australia could be compared to Fazer's Blue in Finland: it's a product that brings back nostalgia for many locals and carries strong national significance," Sami says.
A new catering base has also been established in Bangkok for the new route. 18,000 litres of blueberry juice have been reserved for the base in advance, estimated to last about three months.
What else travels on the route besides passengers?
In addition to passengers, all kinds of cargo travel between Europe and Asia and Australia, and back again, such as industrial components, pharmaceutical products, car parts, fashion and design products.
"Cargo is an essential part of the overall long-haul flight picture," says Olli Huuhka from Cargo.
Flight planning takes into account, for example, the volume, weight and special requirements of the cargo and their impact on the aircraft's loading.
Some cargo requires special care throughout the journey.
"With fresh produce, pharmaceuticals and other temperature-sensitive products, it's important to ensure that the right conditions are maintained from origin to destination. The goal is for cargo to arrive safely, reliably and efficiently," Olli says.
What happens during the stopover in Bangkok?
In Bangkok, all passengers continuing from Helsinki to Melbourne leave the aircraft with their hand luggage, are guided to security screening, and return to the departure gate. The onward flight often departs from the same gate, but it's worth checking the gate information on the Bangkok airport information screens after security.
"At the gate, passengers' hand luggage and passports are checked again in accordance with the requirements of the Australian authorities," says Sari Partanen from Ground Operations.
At the same time, a lot is happening behind the scenes. The cabin crew arriving in Bangkok head to a hotel to rest, while the crew for the next flight prepare for departure. A local mechanic inspects the aircraft for the next flight, cargo staying in Bangkok is unloaded and new cargo is loaded in its place. During the stopover, the aircraft is cleaned and refuelled, catering for the next flight is prepared, and the cabin and cargo hold are treated with the insecticide required by the Australian authorities.
During the stopover of just under two hours, customers pass through security and return to the same aircraft. Meanwhile, the aircraft is prepared for the next leg of the journey.
Once passengers are back on board, there's one final stretch left towards Australia.
Stopover in Bangkok on the way to Melbourne
Finnair's flight from Helsinki to Melbourne makes a technical stopover of just under two hours in Bangkok.
- Passengers leave the aircraft. Take all your hand luggage, clothing and other personal belongings with you, as the aircraft will be cleaned during the stopover.
- Staff will guide passengers to the correct security checkpoint.
- The cabin crew changes in Bangkok.
- Right after security, passengers return to the same departure gate where the flight arrived. You can check the gate number on the airport information screens.
- Luggage and travel documents are checked again at the departure gate.
- Passengers board the same aircraft again, and the journey towards Australia continues.
The Melbourne route shows how much careful planning goes into a single long-haul flight. By the time the flight takes off from Helsinki, most of that work has already been done, and in about 22 hours you will have travelled to the other side of the world.
Finnair flies daily non-stop from Helsinki to Melbourne from 25 October 2026. Tickets for the flights are on sale now.