Finnair buys 8 Airbus planes in $2.3 billion deal

HELSINKI — Finnair PLC says it has ordered eight Airbus A350 aircraft in a deal valued at $2.3 billion.

The Finnish national carrier says the option to order the planes was included in a 2006 deal, bringing its total Airbus fleet to 19, used mainly in long-haul traffic.

The struggling airline said Wednesday that the impact of the deal “is not significant to Finnair’s operating profit in 2014 and 2015.”

The company has said that it expects an operational loss this year because of “unfavorable market conditions.”

Finnair flies to more than 70 destinations with a fleet of some 60 aircraft, employing 5,300 people.

The government holds a near 56 percent stake in the company.