Its stock purchased by the government the previous year, the administration of the pioneer Aero O/Y is reorganized in May 1947. Gone is the pioneering name and in its place a new title, Finnish Air Lines. A 12-member board of administration designates a 6-man board of directors, the chairman of which is also managing director. Lt. Gen. Leonard Grandell becomes chairman/managing director on June 14.
In June, stewardesses are introduced on the eight new Douglas DC-3s taken over from Aero O/Y and the last de Havilland DH 89A Dragon Rapide is sold during the summer. International service over the Helsinki-Stockholm route is restarted on November 3.
DC-3 service is inaugurated to Copenhagen and Amsterdam in March and July 1948, respectively.
In 1949, FAL joins IATA and retires its last two Junkers Ju-52/3ms.
Nine scheduled destinations in Finland as well as four abroad are maintained in 1950-1951 and in 1952 service is begun from the new Helsinki Airport, near Seutula, on July 10. In September of the latter year, three Convair CV-340s are ordered as DC-3 replacements.
In the spring of 1953, the current name “Finnair” is initiated in company marketing strategy. The first CV-340s are delivered during the summer and are placed in service on a new Helsinki-Paris run in October.
Additional CV-340s become available in early 1954. Following an August 31 proving flight, a Convair begins regularly scheduled London-Helsinki via Hamburg flights on September 1.
In 1955, at least one CV-340 must be diverted from international flights to help the fleet’s DC-3s handle increasing domestic traffic. On November 15, the carrier begins direct, thrice-weekly Helsinki to Moscow service, becoming the first non-Communist airline to get a Moscow route.
On April 21, 1956, Convair CV-440s are introduced; one is placed on a route Helsinki-London via Hamburg and Amsterdam.
The board of administration on December 20, 1957, approves acquisition of the French SUD SE-210 Caravelle jetliners and on January 18, 1958 , an order is placed for three Caravelle IAs.
There is no change in 1959.
The first SE-210 arrives at Helsinki on February 22, 1960 followed shortly by a second. Caravelle service begins on April 1 over routes from the Finnish capital to Copenhagen,
Frankfurt, Cologne, Stockholm, Hamburg, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Malmo, and Zurich.
The Caravelle Sinilintu (Blue Bird) starts a Helsinki-London via Amsterdam frequency on April 18 and Gunnar Korhoven succeeds the retiring Gen. Grandell as managing director.
On January 3, 1961, Flight 311, a DC-3 with 3 crew and 22 passengers and en route from Helsinki, crashes while on initial approach to Koivulahti, Finland; there are no survivors. After an investigation, police report a week later that the pilot and copilot of the lost aircraft had been out drinking the night before.
Polar Air O/Y is established as a charter subsidiary. SE-210 flights to Moscow begin on April 21. The three Caravelles are converted to Caravelle III standard.
The first domestic Caravelle service, Helsinki-Oulu, is launched on December 15.
A Caravelle III is delivered in February 1962 and Polar Air O/Y Car-avelle charter service is begun in the spring to Tenerife, Palma de Mallorca, and Rimini.
Minority interest in the airline Karair O/Y is purchased on November 30.
Having gained control of a majority of Karair O/Y stock during 1963, that carrier is merged on November 1.
A week later, on November 8, a DC-3 with 3 crew and 21 passengers and on a domestic flight, crashes while on final approach to Mariehamn, Aland Island (22 dead).
Enplanements for the year total 591,472.
The Finnair Aviation College is opened on January 1, 1964; the inaugural class of student pilots and mechanics begins training later in the month.
During the first weeks of the second quarter, a deal is made with the U. S. carrier Northwest Airlines for the purchase of two DC-6Bs, the first of which arrives on June 12.
After trading in its four Caravelle IIIs as partial payment (the first such arrangement in commercial aviation history), the company receives the first five of a six-plane order for Pratt & Whitney-powered Caravelle XB Super Caravelles in July, placing them in international service in late August and early September. New routes are now extended to Milan, Gote-borg, Luxembourg, Barcelona, Malaga, and Leningrad.
Passenger boardings rise 6% to 629,225 and revenues of $15.7 million are earned.
The second Northwest Airlines DC-6B arrives on February 1, 1965 and Finnair Aviation College graduates its first class of pilots and mechanics in May.
Airline employment reaches 2,081. Passenger service is inaugurated to Athens, Brussels, and Dubrovnik and a twice-weekly Helsinki-Amsterdam all-cargo route is opened. Daily north to south Helsinki to Oulu service is initiated.
The fleet now comprises 5 Super Caravelles, 7 CV-440s, and 5 DC-3s. Enplanements for the year rise 13.8% to 704,775.
A New York office is opened on January 1, 1966 and in the spring daily Super Caravelle XB flights are inaugurated from Helsinki to Frankfurt. Another Super Caravelle is received in September and two Douglas DC-8-62CFs are ordered in November. Passenger boardings reach 897,605.
Service continues apace in 1967 and in January 1968 a new company emblem is unveiled and the name Finnair O/Y is formally adopted.
On the year, a total of 895,672 passengers are flown.
World History
