TPA welcomes A350 with Finnair operating Eurowings Discover flights through October
Tampa Bay area onlookers may notice a new name in the sky, though the aircraft is flying a familiar Frankfurt route.
Tampa International will celebrate the arrival of the Airport’s very first regularly scheduled A350 service as Finnair, the national carrier of Finland, is scheduled to touch down in Tampa this week. The airline will be operating the Tampa to Frankfurt route on behalf of Eurowings Discover beginning May 31 as part of a wet lease agreement during the peak demand summer travel season.
The flight, which operates six times per week, Tuesday through Sunday, will retain the Eurowings Discover flight number, but will be operated by Finnair and its flight crews. Passengers boarding the Finnair A350 can look forward to a high-class travel experience with the same food and beverage service, onboard shop and in-flight entertainment options found on normal Eurowings Discover flights. Guests will be served by a Finnair crew and can choose from three travel classes: Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class. The aircraft will operate under Finnair livery and will not be identifiable as Eurowings Discover flight from the outside. Passengers will still receive all the benefits associated with flying on a Lufthansa Group/Star Alliance carrier as before.
As a young airline still in its ramp-up phase, Eurowings Discover decided to supplement its still small fleet and limited number of crew, by leasing a total of three A350 planes from Finnair. The aircraft will be operating on routes between Eurowings Discover destinations in North America, and the airline’s two hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, Germany. The move will help the airline meet expected demand and offer reliable service this summer.
Only once before has a scheduled A350 landed at Tampa International Airport -- a Delta flight chartered by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Finnair A350 is scheduled to operate at TPA though the end of October, when Eurowings Discover will resume operating their flights.