Global Traveler: Tell us about your career.
Jukka Hienonen: I have been in the position of chairman since Jan. 1 — less than a year. Prior to this I was with Stockmann’s Department Store, which operates in Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. I joined that company in 1995 and became executive vice president in 2003. I was hired by Finnair last June and began training for my new position in November.

GT: Finnair has a new business class. What can business travelers come to expect from this new product?
JH: All of our long-haul flights have the new flat beds. We are finding that short-haul passengers are moving away from European business class to economy because they cannot justify the cost. Long haul is another story, as executives need to arrive at their destination refreshed and ready to work. Travel has to be productive and so we upgraded Finnair business class in order to be competitive. We have added larger individual TV screens, Internet will be available onboard, and by 2011 the Airbus will replace our MD11s across the North Atlantic. Next year, we are moving to a new terminal at New York JFK which will improve the departure experience.

GT: What does Finnair offer that other airlines cannot?
JH: Finnair has the shortest connections from Europe to Asia. North American travelers combining a trip to Europe and Asia will find this an asset. Depending on the season, we have two daily flights to Japan, three daily flights to China and two daily flights to Bangkok. This fall we are adding Delhi, followed by Kuala Lumpur next year. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is key to our success. We are the only airline in Europe that can offer one-hour connection times between flights and assure you that your luggage will arrive with you. Helsinki-Vantaa is acknowledged as the best mid-sized airport in Europe. Plus, we are planning expansion into Asia to accommodate the growth in this region.

GT: What are the key and emerging markets for Finnair from North America?
JH: Delhi is our big push and, of course, Asia. When you look at the globe, you will see why these markets are so important to us — they are very close to Helsinki’s extreme northern position in Europe. We are also adding frequency to Russia, including three new weekly flights to St. Petersburg. We will be introducing service to several other Russian destinations as well.

Overall, I feel Finnair offers service, reliability and amenities that are superior to any other carrier in this region.