Barcelona football team charters Finnair plane for US tour
Team travels with its own chef
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Barcelona's superstar footballers, such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic' who recently transferred from Inter Milan, are currently travelling in the United States on a plane operated by Finnair.
The Finnish national carrier has lease out an MD-11 type aircraft with a crew of 13 to Barca for the duration of the team's two-week tour of the United States.
The plane identified as OH-LGG left Helsinki for Barcelona on Tuesday last week with the team's logo painted on its hull.
The crew includes two captains, a co-pilot, two pursers and eight air hostesses.
On Wednesday the plane was boarded by the 26 players chosen for the USA tour, plus over a hundred-strong assisting and managerial team.
The aircraft used by Finnair on its Asian routes is an ordinary MD-11 passenger plane with a seating capacity of 282, explains Taneli Hassinen, Vice President of Financial Communications and Investor Relations at Finnair.
The aircraft has 36 business class seats, so all the millionaire players should be seated comfortably.
Due to falling demand Finnair has reduced the number of its long-distance departures, and the plane was therefore available, Hassinen explains.
Hassinen is reluctant to speculate, whether renting the aircraft out for two weeks is more profitable than keeping it in regular service.
"But if the alternative is that the plane stands unused on the ground, then it is clear that this sort of use is more profitable", Hassinen adds.
Hassinen refuses to disclose the price though that Barca had to pay for the privilege of using the aircraft. "That is between us and FC Barcelona."
According to information obtained by Helsingin Sanomat the plane may have been rented out for around EUR 300,000-400,000. In addition to the proceeds, the airline surely welcomes the publicity.
According to Hassinen, hiring out a large passenger plane to an outside user for such a long time is rare. Entire aircraft are usually rented by companies for trips to trade fairs or by the public administration for the President's official visits. Previously Finnair's smaller aircraft have been rented out for example to Manchester United for the team's European tours.
Even on board the plane the Barca players are on a strict time schedule. The players will pull through the 12-hour flight across nine different time zones with the help of two warm meals and one snack prepared by the team's own chef.
Three-hour and two-hour naps have also been scheduled in between the mealtimes.
On Saturday over 90,000 spectators witnessed FC Barcelona take a 2-1 victory against David Beckham's LA Galaxy in Los Angeles. In the exhibition game Barca's Pedro Rodriguez and Jeffren Suarez produced one goal each, whereas LA Galaxy's only goal was scored by Beckham from a free kick.
The next game is on Wednesday in Seattle against Seattle Sounders. On the coming Saturday FC Barcelona will take on one of the most popular teams from Mexico, Chivas Guadalajara, in San Francisco.
After that the team with the assisting crew will be flown back to Barcelona, from where the plane will return to Helsinki.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 3.8.2009 - TODAY |
 Barcelona football team charters Finnair plane for US tour |
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