Rare blue and white Moomin mugs delight in the Finnair Lounges

Launched on Moomin’s Day on 9 August 2023, the Sea Breeze Mug is a tribute to both Moomin’s Day and Arabia's 150-year history.  

The design of the mug is based on Tove Jansson’s novel “Moominpappa at Sea” from 1965, where the Moomin family moves to a lighthouse island as Moominpappa feels useless in the safe environment of Moominvalley. On the mugs, we see Moomintroll, Moominmamma, Moominpappa, and Little My on the shore.

Blue and white design  

The illustrations have been adapted by the recently retired designer Tove Slotte from Jansson’s drawings on the writing paper she used to answer her fans. This is Slotte’s 100th Moomin mug design. Altogether, there are over 120 Moomin mug designs made. The mugs show a beautiful windy islet scenery with violets, wild roses, spiny sea buckthorns and seashells as ink-blue illustrations on a white background.

Mugs are a small, cheerful addition to our lounges

The festive mug was sold exclusively around Moomin’s Day 2023 and is no longer available. However, a small batch of special mugs arrived from Moomin Arabia to the Finnair Lounges at Helsinki Airport in December 2024. The Sea Breeze mugs complement our blue and white world and have now found their place alongside the white Teema mugs in our lounges.

"Finnair Lounges are an ideal setting for different kinds of collaboration. We hope to delight and surprise our customers, and when we received a proposal from Moomin Arabia to collaborate with the Moomin mugs, we were thrilled. The theme and colour scheme of the mugs fit in well with our lounges as a whole and with the existing tableware. They bring a small, cheerful addition to our lounges," comments Lotta Prinssi, who lead the collaboration process at Finnair.  

The Journey mug celebrated the 100th anniversary of Finnair

The arrival of the Sea Breeze mugs in our lounges is a natural continuation of the previous collaboration with Moomin Arabia. The Journey mug (Moomin Arabia) was launched in autumn 2023 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Finnair. All our employees received a mug as a gift. In addition, a limited number of these coveted mugs were available for purchase.

Iittala classics on our flights

In addition to the tableware in our lounges, you can also find Arabia and Iittala products on our flights. The Ultima Thule champagne glass exudes Business Class, and the glass designed by Tapio Wirkkala for our first flight to New York in 1969 is a true classic. The eye-catching glasses have a rounded base, supported by three ice peaks that evoke the essence of Arctic nature.

In 2022, Finnish brand Iittala and designer Harri Koskinen teamed up to create a brand-new tableware range for our Business Class and Premium Economy cabins. The Kuulas line, featuring round plates, glasses, coffee cups and serving dishes, use authentic materials including ceramics and wood. The aim, says Koskinen, was to create something cosy and homely.