Finnish flag carrier Finnair will mark three decades of flying to Osaka in Japan this weekend.

The route was inaugurated on April 19 1995, Finnair becoming an industry frontrunner connecting Europe and Asia via the ‘short northern route’.

Flights on the route were initially operated twice per week, on the airline’s McDonnell Douglas wide-body fleet, before growing to a daily operation today thanks to rising demand for travel to the Far East.

To celebrate the new route, Finnair decorated its aircraft with custom ‘Moomin’ decals, coinciding with the airline’s newly launched partnership with the Finnish icon in 1995.

Anssi Partanen, Finnair Market Director Europe, said: “We are proud to celebrate Finnair’s Osaka route turning 30, showcasing Finnair’s commitment to not only the city, but the wider Japanese market.

“Finnair has always been known for its connections between Europe and Japan, so we are excited to be further increasing our capacity to the market this summer, with the addition of daily flights to Osaka in time for the World Expo.”

Finnair’s first flight to the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ took off on April 22, 1983, with a new non-stop service to Tokyo-Narita, becoming the only airline at the time to offer direct flights between Western Europe and Japan.

In the next decade, the airline added direct flights from Helsinki to Osaka, before growing its Asian network further to include other Japanese cities.

This summer, the journey to Osaka will be easier than ever thanks to Finnair, as the airline launches daily flights to the city, up from five per week last year. These flights will support Osaka’s position on the global stage, as the city gears up to host World Expo 2025.

Finnair has also reclaimed its title of the largest European airline to Japan by flights, offering 25 weekly flights from Helsinki to Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita, Osaka, and Nagoya, showcasing the airline’s strong loyalty to the country.