Finnish carrier Finnair, which has focused heavily on routes to Asia, says it will deepen its cooperation with China’s Juneyao Air and aims to set up a joint venture with the airline to operate the Helsinki-Shanghai route.

The joint venture would enable the two carriers to offer an increased number of destinations, schedules and fare options via their main hubs, Helsinki Airport and Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport.

“Despite these immensely challenging times for our industry, we at Finnair remain steadfast in our belief and commitment to China as a key market,” said Finnair’s Chief Commercial Officer Ole Orver.