Alipay takes off with Finnair

HELSINKI -- Finnish national airline Finnair is to activate the Chinese online payment system Alipay on one of its flights between China and Finland.

A one-month testing period begins on Jan 27, the eve of Chinese New Year, on the route between Helsinki and Shanghai, according to information acquired by Xinhua on Thursday.

Finnair said they were the first airline to offer the online payment system onboard. Decisions on future rollouts will be made after the trial period.

Customers can use Alipay for in-flight purchases. If lounge access is not included in the customer's fare, Alipay can still be used via Finnish e-payment platform ePassi, a source from ePassi told Xinhua.

Katri Harra-Salonen, a Finnair chief digital officer, underlined that Chinese travellers could get a convenient and familiar payment system on board.

Alipay has already been available at some of the shops at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport, as well as souvenir and national brands shops in Rovaniemi, northern Finland via ePassi.