Airlines assign flight numbers themselves and once in awhile have some fun with them.
For example, UA flight 777 used to run each day from Washington Dulles to Las Vegas. UA flight 747 is the designated flight number for United’s final 747 flight next month.
And then there’s Finnair, who have operated a daily flight numbered 666 to Helsinki (airport code HEL) for over a decade. It also departs during the 13th hour of the day…
Over 11 years, Finnair has flown to HEL 21 times aboard AY666 on Friday the 13th.
But that ends today. Later this month Finnair will retire the 666 flight number, replacing the flight with AY954.
I’d expect that we’ll see the flight number resurface at some point in the future…especially if Finnair ever begins service to New Haven, CT (HVN).
But until then, I suppose there is always ANA flight 666 to Haneda, known as hell to those who have to transit to Narita…
CONCLUSION
I’m not sure why I find this story amusing — I am certainly not superstitious in that way — but this story made me laugh.
One Mile at a Time also wrote about it earlier.
Have you ever been on an iconic (or ironic) flight number with deeper, darker undertones?
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