Polar Crossings

Tokyo to Helsinki

HND → HEL

Finnair’s connection with Japan dates back to the 1970s, but it was in 1983 that the airline began flying nonstop to Tokyo over the North Pole. Before the closure of Russian airspace in 2022, Finnair’s location in northern Europe made it one of the fastest gateways between Europe and Asia. Today, flights from Japan to Helsinki almost always take the northern route, crossing the Arctic and often passing within just a few kilometres of the geographic North Pole. Passengers can even ask the cabin crew for a special polar-crossing certificate — a throwback to the certificates Finnair handed out on its pioneering 1980s flights.

Route

Tokyo (HND) → Helsinki (HEL)

Flights

AY62

Airline

Finnair

Aircraft

Airbus A350-900

Date

2 September 2026

Distance

11,020 km

Flight time

12h 33m