Finnair began its first Transatlantic service with a Douglas DC-8 on a route from Helsinki to New York, via Copenhagen, Denmark and Amsterdam, Netherlands on May 15, 1969.

This cover was carried on the inaugural Finnair flight from Helsinki, Finland to New York (where it was backstamped) and is listed in The Foreign Flag Flights (FFF) Section of The American Air Mail Catalogue as AY-1.

Mike Codd, a noted Air Mail historian, prepared  the cover.