Malta will get twice-weekly direct flights to Helsinki with Finnair from next summer, the airline has announced.

An Airbus A321 Sharklet aircraft will fly to the Finnish capital city on Mondays and Thursdays. Seats are available to book now.

The service begins on April 2 and will run to late October, although earlier this week Malta’s Ambassador to Finland Michael Zammit Tabona told The Business Observer it could be extended year-round.

Finland’s flagship airline is also introducing services to the Greek capital Athens and Dublin, Ireland. It said the timetables were designed to connect with its network of Asian destinations, providing an alternative route to travelling via Dubai.

“With these new destinations we are responding to growing demand, particularly from Asia, so timetables for each of these new routes are tailored for the best possible connection to Finnair’s Asian flights,” said Petri Vuori, Finnair’s VP Global Sales.

“At the same time of course our Finnish and Baltic Rim passengers will also be able to enjoy what these fascinating destinations have to offer.”