Finnair says the modifications made involve changes and updates to the aircraft’s software system, placards and manuals in cooperation with the planes maker Airbus. The aircraft software compensates for the centre of gravity change and maintains the same handling characteristics which allows for an increase in maximum take-off weight by around eight tonnes and that then enables Finnair to carry more customers and cargo on long-haul routes to Asia.
With these modifications each aircraft can carry more customers and cargo, but also more importantly extra fuel to fly the longer flight times between Finland and South Korea and Japan that have resulted in the closure of Russian airspace to Finnair and other European and US carriers since the start of the war in Ukraine. Finnair hopes these changes will help it restore profitability to the routes and the airline as a whole.
Leena Niemi, Finnair Compliance Manager for Technical Operation, said: “Usually we do everything we can to make our aircraft lighter, but for our flights to Tokyo and Seoul we’ve increased their maximum take-off weight to fly around Russia and meet the demand for increased customers, cargo and kerosene. While making the modifications, the safety and security of our aircraft and customers remained our number one priority.”
“In addition, the weight and balance data for the modified aircraft have been updated, the noise certificates of the aircraft have been renewed, and the aircraft maintenance program and life limits of the main landing gear parts have been updated.”