2007-10-24 08:00:30 CEST

2007-10-24 08:00:30 CEST


REGULATED INFORMATION

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Finnair Oyj - Company Announcement

AURINKOMATKAT-SUNTOURS EXPANDS INTO RUSSIA


FINNAIR PLC   STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE	24 OCTOBER 2007 AT 09:00

AURINKOMATKAT-SUNTOURS EXPANDS INTO RUSSIA

Aurinkomatkat-Suntours, Finland's biggest package tour operator, is to acquire
Calypso, the Russian travel agency and tour operator. Calypso is the St.
Petersburg area's leading travel agency for VIP travel and tailored
itineraries, and it has its own tour operator business. The company is renowned
for its quality services. 

Under the sale agreement, Aurinkomatkat-Suntours will purchase a majority
holding of all three companies belonging to the Calypso Group. Oleg Aframeev
will continue as the companies' President and Managing Director and a minority
shareholder. The intention is to finalise the deal by the end of the year.
Calypso will organise the foreign travel of around 15,000 customers this year.
The Group has 60 employees. 

Aurinkomatkat-Suntours' strategy is to expand into Finland's neighbouring
areas. At the beginning of the year, the company acquired Estonia's second
biggest tour operator, Horizon Travel. 
“This acquisition has been a success. Our sales in Estonia have grown well.
With Calypso's help, we will gain access to Russia's rapidly growing travel
market. Our target group is the increasingly affluent middle class, which wants
to travel and see the world. In Russia's package tour market we will get the
opportunity to utilise our mass production expertise,” explains Aurinkomatkat's
Managing Director Jukka Salama. 

Aurinkomatkat-Suntours is Finland's leading package tour operator. The
company's turnover in 2006 was 261 million euros. Aurinkomatkat-Suntours sells
around 360,000 trips per year. The youth travel brand takeOff and the Estonian
company Horizon Travel are part of the Aurinkomatkat-Suntours Group. 

Finnair Plc
Communications
24.10.2007

Further information:

Jukka Salama, Managing Director, Oy Aurinkomatkat-Suntours Ltd Ab,
jukka.salama@aurinkomatkat.fi, 
tel. +358 50 390 3030